Many years ago, Ansel Keys from the University of Minnesota and his colleagues studied the health of 16 regions in 7 countries around the world. The study lasted for 10 years, with over 50 years of follow up.

They found that in Greece and specifically in Crete, compared to other Mediterranean countries, there were significantly lower mortality rates. In fact, deaths in Crete from cardiovascular disease and cancer were almost 1/3 less than those in the United States.

To understand the reasons for this difference, they started looking for the habits of these people and their diet.

They discovered that the Cretan diet was characterized by the daily use of olives, olive oil, cereals (whole grains), legumes, nuts, fruits (the main dessert), wild greens and vegetables (as a main dish) and herbs. The quantities of dairy products were moderate (cheese, yogurt, goat’s milk), with the emphasis being given to cheese and yogurt. At the same time, the consumption of poultry and fish was moderate to low and red meat (goat, beef, lamb) even lower.

Each meal was accompanied by bread. Olives as well as olive oil had their share in the daily energy intake. As the study mentioned, the food seemed to be “swimming” in oil.  Bread and olive oil supplied more than half of the energy that a Cretan received every day. Soft cheeses and potatoes were consumed regularly during the week, while eggs and milk, butter and margarines were used less.

As a snack the Cretans preferred mainly nuts, raisins, dried figs and sometimes honey. Also, wine was consumed often but prudently, usually along with food.

In essence, the food model was inextricably linked to the needs of the people and the economic conditions of the time. The food products consumed were the ones produced by the Cretan land.

The conclusions of this study were that the Cretan diet is an excellent dietary model for health maintenance and the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Since then, the Cretan diet has been widely studied by the scientific community and its adoption has been positively associated with longevity, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, various types of cancer, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as reduced blood lipid and glucose concentrations.

Its characteristics have even been imprinted in the so-called Cretan diet pyramid, to help people all over the world to adopt it easier.

To find more about the study, visit their official website at sevencountriesstudy.com