The Mediterranean diet

In the 1960s, it was found that the people of Greece (Crete) consumed a great deal of salt and fat (but also a lot of plant foods). They were living longer than the Japanese, who were also eating a lot of salt but whose diet was low in fat and lower in plant foods. The people of Crete lived longer because they had lower rates of stroke, stomach cancer, heart disease and other cancers. Researchers also noticed that people living in countries around the Mediterranean had a lower incidence of heart disease, despite their high intake of mono-unsaturated fats, such as olive oil. This led to investigations into what is known as ‘the Mediterranean diet’ , of which olive oil is a major part.

Recent studies into the health benefits of olive oil have found that it can lower the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing blood cholesterol levels. According to one study, a person’s risk of fatal heart attack is halved in just two to four years once they switch to ‘the Mediterranean diet’, which includes using olive oil as the main dietary fat, increasing vegetable intake, and limiting meat and dairy foods. Research has also found that olive oil may influence body fat distribution, with less fat stored around the stomach.

Researchers compared the weight loss results from one group of people, following ‘the Mediterranean diet’, to another group who were sticking to low fat and high carbohydrate diets. They found that those following the Mediterranean diet shed excess pounds from both the upper and lower body, but the other group mainly lost fat from the lower body. People who store their body fat around the waist and abdomen (‘apple shaped’) have a higher risk of heart disease than those people who carry their weight at the hips and thighs (‘pear shaped’).

Article Source:
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/hl_foodnutrition?OpenDocument