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Ánzel Keys' renowned study of seven countries, which was published
in 1980, revealed that the health level of Cretans was the highest
in the world. Cancers and cardio-circulatory disease were rare,
since out of 100.000 people on Crete, there were only 9 deaths
attributed to these diseases as opposed to 466 in Finland. It was
further proven that this was largely due to the dietary habits of
the Cretan, people, whose basic ingredient is olive oil.
THE PRODUCTS
For Cretans, the secret of longevity is very simple. They eat
anything that their rich soil produces! They consume a lot of fruit,
vegetables, greens, fresh produce, legumes, cheese and bread.
Cretans use herbs to add flavor to their meals; they make
sweets/cakes with natural sweeteners, honey and grape-juice syrup;
while the excellent Cretan wine is an indispensable accompaniment to
their meals. Cretans do not eat meat or, rather, they did not eat
meat until a few decades ago. Meat has always had a ritual quality
in Crete, and generally in Greece. In antiquity, Cretans consumed
only the meat offered to the gods on the altar of sacrifice. In
modern times, they consumed meat only a few times a year, i.e.
during festivities or, if wealthy enough, every Sunday. In other
words, the dietary code of Cretans has deep cultural and historical
roots.
This, however, should not be considered as a limiting, or even a
coercive practice that could undermine the richness of taste. On the
contrary, the ingenuity of Cretans exploited fully the entire
spectrum of ingredient combinations, which resulted in volumes of
recipes for meals and deserts. Snails, for example, are cooked in 40
different ways! Pure olive oil is the sine qua non for all
preparations! Fresh produce grown under the most suitable climatic
conditions has a prominent place on dinner tables. Cretans do not
require doctor's orders to consume large amounts of fruit and
vegetables. Grapes, raisins, oranges, etc. are a way of life. Even
on days strictly associated with meat-eating, such as the Easter
Day, Cretans do not eat only meat. On the contrary, they cook meat
with artichokes, wild greens or vegetables a delicious choice!
THE RESULTS
Mr. Serge Renaud, a French researcher-scientist said, "Following a
15-year follow-up study, it was concluded that Crete manifests the
lowest mortality rates irrespective of the cause of death". There is
no doubt that the above statement attests to the benefits of the
Cretan diet. The French scientist was referring to wide scale
research on nutrition that was conducted with the participation of
seven countries, including Greece, in 1956 by Dr Ancel Keys, a
pioneering investigator and health revolutionary American. Today,
the international community has adopted the Cretan model of
nutrition by recommending it, as the basis of human nutrition.
Ancel Keys, 1986 compares mortality rates among various regions of
the world, including four Mediterranean regions. Crete is last with
respect to death causes with a significant difference from the
country before last.
Also we have a comparison between the results from the above
mentioned study in the seven countries (up to 1986) and pertinent
statistical data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) per
100,000 participants (Serge Renaud, 1995). Again, Crete is at the
bottom of the list with regard to mortality rates.
In addition to the above, we have the results from a French study in
Lyon. The French doctors divided their patients with heart diseases
in two groups. The first group was put on a diet recommended by the
US Society of Cardiology -- a low fat/cholesterol diet -- and served
as control group. The second group was prescribed the Cretan diet to
be followed during their normal way of life. The results were
statistically significant. In two years mortality rates in the
second group dropped by 75%!
Modern Cretans feel the urge to share their secrets of life with the
world. Besides their history and culture, they are also willing to
share with people their prized cultural heritage known as CRETAN
DIET.
Cretans would like to let the world know of a gigantic effort taking
place on the island to preserve traditional values and nutritional
customs, in spite of the influx of promotional activities favoring
foreign nutritional habits, mainly that of fast food.
Cretan producers and local processing, packaging, and marketing
companies warrant that all Cretan products are pure, without
chemical substances or other preservatives and additives.
Cretan products, being part of a centuries old tradition, are
treated with the same respect as that afforded to them by our
ancestors
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