THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE First considered by Ancel Keys 1 to be a low-satu- rated fat diet that protected against coronary disease by lowering the total cholesterol level in the plasma, this diet was eventually appreciated less for what it did not contain and more for what it did contain: olive oil. 2-7 It is now recognized that this diet is also beneficial in the © 2006 International Life Sciences Institute doi: 10.1301/nr.2006.oct.S13–S19
