| The ancient Mediterranean civilization is rich with | | | | eggs, wine, and beer. |
| stories of grandeur and historic events. It is one of the | | | | The diet contains a fairly high amount of fat, yet the |
| most distinguished civilizations that have positively | | | | people have less heart disease because they eat |
| influenced other cultures around the world. The | | | | healthy fats like olive oil. The fish tend to be oily fish like |
| geographical location of the Mediterranean allowed its | | | | sardines that are high in Omega-3 oils. The diet |
| people to influence the other continents. The | | | | eliminates fried foods that have been cooked in rancid |
| Mediterranean became a cauldron for cultures from | | | | vegetable oils or trans fats. |
| Mesopotamia, India, and China. The history of the | | | | People who tried the classic Mediterranean diet rich in |
| Mediterranean region is the history of the interaction of | | | | vegetables, fruits, olive oil, cereals and fish are said to |
| the cultures and people of the lands surrounding the | | | | live longer and are healthier. But a study in Greece has |
| Mediterranean Sea. It was the ancient central | | | | shown that it is the diet as a whole, rather than any |
| superhighway of transport, trade, and cultural | | | | specific individual component, that confers health |
| exchange between diverse people. Its history is | | | | benefits. |
| important to understanding the origin and development | | | | Researchers from the University of Athens and the |
| of the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Phoenician, | | | | Harvard School of Public Health recorded the eating |
| Jewish, Greek, Roman, Arab, and Turkish cultures. In | | | | habits of 22,000 Greek people, and followed their |
| fact, the Mediterranean is crucial to understanding the | | | | subsequent health and mortality for an average of 3.7 |
| development of the Western civilization. | | | | years. It shows that people who ate a diet rich in |
| However, the Mediterranean not only contributed to | | | | typical Mediterranean ingredients were less likely to die, |
| humanity in terms of history. The word "Mediterranean" | | | | suffer coronary heart disease, or cancer during the |
| is now closely associated with a popular and effective | | | | follow-up period. |
| diet. The Mediterranean diet is a nutritional concept | | | | Such results of low incidents of heart disease and |
| which is founded on the principle that the consumption | | | | death rates in the Mediterranean countries has resulted |
| of olive oil and wine will lower the risk of heart disease | | | | from other countries to look for help from their |
| and obesity. There are many variations of | | | | Mediterranean neighbors with their diet. However, |
| Mediterranean diet due to social, political and economic | | | | before anyone should try a Mediterranean diet, more |
| differences between Mediterranean countries. | | | | studies are needed to find out whether the diet itself or |
| However, the Mediterranean diet does share one | | | | other lifestyle factors account for the lower deaths |
| common characteristic, it is the large consumption of | | | | and heart diseases. |
| olive oil, which dominates all Mediterranean meals. | | | | If these studies prove that the Mediterranean diet is an |
| In contrast to the standard American diet, the diet of | | | | effective way of reducing heart disease then it will |
| the Mediterranean people includes primarily fresh, | | | | have significant effect for the health community. It also |
| seasonal vegetables rather than canned or imported | | | | goes to show that the Mediterranean never stopped |
| produce. The diet contains low to moderate amounts | | | | giving us reasons to rejoice and be in this civilization. |
| of dairy products, fish and poultry, very little red meat, | | | | |