Using the Mediterranean Diet to Cure Disease

As far back as 1950, Ancel Keys established the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. His epidemiologistic studies concluded that areas of Greece had extremely low incidence of heart disease and certain cancers despite the fact that their diet was high in fats. 

The Greek diet is high in fats, but the fats are predominately from extra virgin olive oil which is high in monounsaturated fats. Since then, numerous studies have proven the benefits of a Mediterranean diet rich in extra virgin olive oil, whole grains, vegetables, fruit, fermented dairy, seafood, legumes and nuts.

Cardiovascular Disease:

The extra virgin olive oil in the diet helps lower your risks of many diseases, The high content of vegetables, fresh fruits, cereals, and olive oil guarantees a high intake of beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, polyphenols, and various important minerals. These key elements are responsible for the beneficial effect of the diet on human health and especially on cardiovascular disease. 

Breast Cancer:

The Mayo Clinic states that women who go on this diet and supplement it with nuts and olive oil have a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Cognitive decline:

Those who follow this diet have slower rates of cognitive decline, reduced conversion to Alzheimer’s disease, and improvements in cognitive function.

Longevity:

People who live in the Mediterranean region have long lifespans. There are many contributing factors, but the Mediterranean diet is a very significant factor. All of this makes sense, since a healthy diet will leave you less at risk for diseases and other physical ailments.  The Mayo Clinic reported that the diet is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality as well as overall mortality.

3,3 Dimethyl-1-butanol:

DMB (3,3-Dimethyl-1-butanol) is a substance found in extra virgin olive oils which protects the heart and blood vessels but the DMB is not in all olive oils, most extra virgin olive oils from Italy have low levels of DMB but it is found in olive oil from Greece.

Polyphenols:

The difference between the grades of oil lies not just in the lower acidity, freshness and richer taste but in the number of chemicals released called polyphenols. High grade extra virgin oil, especially if cold extracted, has around 30 polyphenols that act as antioxidants, which reduce inflammation and also help reduce the effects of aging particularly on the heart and brain.

Until recently it was thought these antioxidant polyphenols acted directly on genes and blood vessels. But it turns out that they also work via our gut microbes that make up our microbiome. This is the community of trillions of diverse bacteria which live in our large intestine. They feed off the different polyphenols and produce other small chemicals (short chain fatty acids) that dampen down inflammation and help our immune system. The striking benefits of the Mediterranean diet and particularly extra virgin olive oil are that they are superb gut microbe fertilisers and improve gut health. It is believed that the consumption of extra virgin olive oil, high in phenolic