Mediterranean Oils and Fats, and Disease Risk

Abstract

IntroductionSince the work of Ancel Keys, fats in the Mediterranean diet (MD) were recognized as being different from those in the Western diet and for being responsible for the good health markers of the Mediterranean countries, despite a rather high fat intake. In the Seven Countries study, Ancel Keys noted that Crete had a rate of coronary heart disease (CHD) almost 32 times lower than East Finland, although the overall fat intake in Crete was not much lower than in East Finland (36.1 % of total energy intake (TEI) and 38.5 % TEI, respectively) [ 1 ]. However, the saturated fatty acids (SFA) contributed 23.7 % of total calories in East Finland compared to 7.7 % in Crete. This observation suggested that overall dietary fat consumption was not a major determinant of risk for CHD, and it is now