'Mediterranean Diet' Cuts Heart Attack, Cancer Risk

BOSTON (Reuters) - A study of more than 22,000 Greeks provided further evidence on Wednesday that the "Mediterranean diet" rich in cheese, nuts and olive oil can protect against heart disease and cancer.

The study found that people who ate a Mediterranean-style diet had a 33 percent reduction in the risk of death from heart disease and a cancer death rate that was 24 percent lower compared to volunteers who ate other foods.

The diet, which varies from country to country, often includes monthly servings of meat and weekly meals of poultry, eggs and sweets. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, unrefined cereals, olive oil, cheese and yogurt are eaten most days, as is fish. Wine is consumed in moderation.

Although olive oil is widely credited with many of the benefits of the diet, the research team, led by Antonia Trichopoulou of the University of Athens Medical School, found that no specific food in the diet appeared to be responsible for the improvement in health.

"Individual components may have small effects that emerge only when the components are integrated into a simple, unidimensional score," the researchers said.

In an editorial in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine (news - web sites), in which the study was published, Frank Hu of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston said specific nutrients or foods in the diet may somehow interact to reduce the risks of cancer and heart disease.

CTM COMMENT: The typical Greek cheese spoken of is very different from the typical cheese manufactured in the US and elsewhere. It is mostly Feta and other cheeses made from sheep and goat's milk which differ in major ways to cheeses such as Cheddar made with cow's milk. The typical Greek diet contains a lot less meat than the average diet in much of the Western world. It has also been found, in another study, that this same diet significantly reduces the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis, information known for many years, yet once again, not acted upon. Keep in mind also that the average Greek restaurant found in your local high street is not always a good indicator of a true Greek diet. These restaurants often emphasize the meat dishes and recipes with more fat and butter, etc. in an attempt to appeal to typical local tastes.