Oct 16, 2006, 4:35 GMT
Frankfurt - A Mediterranean diet remains one of the simplest and best means of preventing heart disease, according to the German Heart Foundation.
Plenty of olive or rapeseed oil, lots of vegetables and regular meals of fish reduce the risk significantly, said Professor Hans- Juergen Becker, the foundation's chairman.
Speaking to Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa on the occasion of World Heart Day, Becker said the beneficial effects of Mediterranean cuisine had long been proven by studies in Crete, which had 'the lowest heart attack death rate and highest rate of olive oil consumption in Europe.'
Olive oil's healthfulness lay in its 'optimal composition' - a mixture of many polyunsaturated fats and low saturated fats, he noted. In this it was similar to rapeseed oil.
'Unsaturated fats are easily catabolised,' Becker said, adding, 'The fat does not build up on artery walls.'
The healthiest and most nutritious type of olive oil is the virgin variety, which comes from the first pressing of the olives, he said. Fish was particularly healthy because of the omega-3 fatty acids in it.
Becker pointed out that vegetables not only contained vitamins but also flavonoids, which helped the body to absorb them. Hence fruit and vegetables were nutritionally superior to vitamin tablets.
As a rule of thumb, one should eat three times more vegetables than meat, Becker said. Roughage, too, helped prevent heart disease.
Wine, also part of the typical Mediterranean diet, was not harmful when drunk in moderation. 'One glass with a meal is the norm there,' Becker said.
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