What are two important components of a Mediterranean diet?
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Dr. Michael T Murray answered:Two components of the Mediterranean diet that have received a lot of attention are red wine and olive oil. Red wine is thought to be responsible for the "French paradox" - a term referring to the fact that the French consume more saturated fat than Americans yet have a lower incidence of heart disease. The explanation is that the flavonoids in red wine protect against oxidative damage to the arteries from LDL cholesterol.
Olive oil contains a heart-protective monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid. It also contains several antioxidant agents that prevent circulating LDL cholesterol from becoming damaged and then subsequently damaging the arteries. Olive oil lowers harmful LDL cholesterol and increases the level of protective HDL cholesterol. It has also been proved to lower elevated blood triglycerides though in this regard it is not as effective as fish oils.
Find out more about this book: What the Drug Companies Won't Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn't Know: The Al...
Two components of the Mediterranean diet that have received a lot of attention are red wine and olive oil. Red wine is thought to be responsible for the "French paradox" - a term referring to the fact that the French consume more saturated fat than... More
