A 17 year long research study - see the link in The Telegraph article - into the diet of 24,000 Britons revealed last month that a Mediterranean diet of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish and olive oil can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by up to 16%, and that 12.5% of deaths per year (almost 20,000) could be avoided simply by including more of these in everyday food consumption. The study cites Mediterranean regions such as Crete, other parts of Greece, and Southern Italy as having a diet rich in cereals and vegetables, low in red meats, and moderate in dairy, fish, poultry and wine. In England and Wales, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) already suggests there are benefits to such a diet but that 'generalisability' in the UK might be limited due to a potential greater expense in following the diet outside the Mediterranean itself. What this means is that these foods are relatively more expensive in the UK than in Spain, for example. Staggeringly, healthcare costs associated with CVD are estimated at £11billion per year. If the NHS was in the business of food supply, it would save itself a fortune in future healthcare costs by selling plentiful fruit and vegetables very cheaply. Just a thought...
If you're looking for inspiration, check out some of our fish recipes here and live the Mediterranean life as far as you can!