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The medical profession has known since the 1950s that the risk of premature death can be greatly reduced by what is known as a Mediterranean diet. One of the first studies undertaken showed that in relation to cholesterol levels the rate of heart disease was proportional and that an intake of saturated fats greatly increased the risk of heart disease. The same study also showed that increasing your mono-unsaturated fats with mainly olive oil greatly reduced the risk of heart disease and cancer.

The study identified the Greek island of Crete as having one of the lowest premature mortality rates. Their diet consisted of very little meat, moderate amounts of fish, red wine, lots of fruit and legumes, and copious amounts of oil. Their bread which was an integral part of their diet was mostly wholegrain.

The first evidence of the advantage of a Mediterranean diet first came to light in the west in 1994 when a French doctor, Dr Serge Renaud ran a study to see what would happen to patient’s health that had suffered a heart attack and then followed a Mediterranean style diet.

Their Mediterranean diet encouraged them to eat more fruit, fish and vegetables, and less red meat. Their butter was replaced with a margarine enriched with alpha linolenic acid. This was to follow as closely as possible the Cretan style of diet which was rich in alpha linolenic acid because of the ready availability of walnuts and olive oil.

The study ran for two years and the results showed that the death rate in the study group was reduced by 70% compared to those who had previously suffered a heart attack and followed a regular diet.

Tags: heart disease, cholesterol, mediterranean diet



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