The Mediterranean Diet Part 2

Maybe this is why certain Mediterranean regions have low death rates from heart disease and cancer. In fact, scientists have discovered that the Greek island of Crete has the lowest such rates. Olive oil is widely used in these regions and has been proven to battle against cancer and disease of the heart. Scientists, however, have recently stumbled on an even more important finding. Additional research has shown that the diet of Cretans contains a certain wild plant that was also proven to be a powerful antioxidant. It is called purslane.Purslane contains a strong antioxidant called n-3 fatty acid, which has been shown in countless studies, to fight against heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Furthermore, it was determined that their diet contained many other foods that are rich in n-3 fatty acids. These include fish, walnuts, figs, unrefined carbohydrates, as well as wild greens. And this explains why other regions in the area, that have a high olive oil intake, but lower n-3s in their diets, dont share the same low death incidences from the above diseases. Scientists have noted that the diet of Crete is fairly high in fat, but has a low n-6 to n-3 ratio, and this is what makes the difference. Most of their cooking is done with olive oil. Cooking oils, other than olive oil (and canola) and their bi-products contain polyunsaturated oils that are high in n-6 fatty acid and are used in little if any amount. In comparison, the American diet has a much higher n-6 to n-3 ratio. Furthermore, compared to Americans, Cretans eat ten times more fish, much less red meat and use cheese at the expense of milk. While the Greek lifestyle is less stressful, it commands a significant amount of physical activity. Most neighborhoods in Greece are complimented with a square. As a result, people go to the square mostly on foot to do their shopping or to socialize. For this reason, the town squares havent been designed to accommodate automobile parking. Walking and cycling are the most practical means of transportation within these communities. It is not difficult to see then, why Cretans are healthier and slimmer than North Americans, for instance. They have a lower n-6 to n-3 ratio in their diet and a higher level of physical activity. By the way, heres another interesting fact: Greece has one of the highest cigarette smoking ratios per capita in the world. Go figure.