Is a Mediterranean Diet Better For Your Heart Than Statins?

A Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, nuts, fish and oils Heart-Healthy Mediterranean DietIt’s well accepted that the Mediterranean Diet is a heart-healthy diet (see Doctors back the Mediterranean Diet as a sure way to improve health). However, what about someone who has unfortunately already suffered from a heart attack, stroke or blocked arteries? Would following a Mediterranean-style diet help them too? Well, the answer appears to be YES!
Professor Giovanni de Gaetano (head of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention at the IRCCS Neuromed Institute in Italy) has just reported on a study he’s led that study followed 1,200 people who had such a history of cardio-vascular disease for 7 years. 

A Mediterranean Diet (more detail here) is one that is rich in vegetables, fish, nuts, and plant oils, and lower in the types of saturated fats found in red meat and full-fat dairy such as butter. 
So, Is a Mediterranean Diet Better Than Statins? Image: adamr at FreeDigitalPhotos.netProf Gaetano’s study found that those who most closely ate a typically Mediterranean diet were much less likely to die than those whose diet was least like it. In fact, the difference was as great as 37%. As a comparison, cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins are reported to make about a 24% difference.

Leading heart health charities advise that people should combine following a Mediterranean diet and taking regular exercise alongside any medication such as statins prescribed by your doctor, as the optimal way to fight heart disease.
Want to try the Mediterranean Diet?If you're looking easy ways to follow the Mediterranean Diet, then you may want to checkout my best-selling Easy Low Fat & Low Cholesterol Mediterranean Diet Recipe Cookbook which features over 100 easy, tasty everyday recipes:
    Watch my Low Fat & Low Cholesterol Mediterranean Diet Recipe VideosSubscribe to my YouTube channel for lots of great Mediterranean Diet recipe demonstrations.