Mediterranean diet helps to keep hearts healthy

A diet of Mediterranean foods that are rich in nuts or extra-virgin olive oil can save the lives of people at risk of heart attacks or strokes.
This is according to research published online by the New England Journal of Medicine, which found eating lots of fruit, vegetables, beans, fish and wine – and rarely consuming red meat or dairy products – can keep hearts healthy.
After conducting a five-year study in Spain of up to 7,500 participants, it was discovered those assigned to the Mediterranean diet had a 30 per cent lower chance of falling seriously ill than those randomly selected for a low-fat diet.
The researchers wrote in the journal that what matters in a person’s eating habits is the type of fats they are consuming, adding: “The results of our trial might explain, in part, the lower cardiovascular mortality in Mediterranean countries than in northern European countries or the US.”
A recent 19-year study carried out by scientists at Uppsala University in Sweden revealed women who regularly take calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis may be at risk of developing heart disease .