Heart Health
Ask the doctor: The Mediterranean diet difference
Q. I hear that it's now been proved that the Mediterranean diet really is good for your heart. Is that true?
A. Studies going back 60 years have studied the effect of diet on rates of heart attacks, strokes, and other conditions caused by atherosclerosis of the arteries (vascular disease). These studies have shown that people who eat a Mediterranean diet—a diet rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish, and low in red meats and processed meats, with a moderate amount of cheese and wine—have lower rates of vascular disease.
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