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0.___Н__The key to the Cretans' good health, say experts, lies in their diet. They have
long been known to use far möre extra virgin olive oil, flavoured with fresh herbs
from the mountains, than other nationalities.
1.Experts believe the oil is so good for the health because it provides plenty
of oleic acid. This is the kind of fat that is found in the purest olive oil.
2.Research has shown the benefits of this. When tests were carried out,
replacing part of the animal fat content of the north European diet with olive oil, it
was found that olive oil can greatly reduce levels of the cholesterol that can clog
the bloodstream and cause heart problems.
3.Research was conducted by Christine Williams, Professor of Food Studies at
Reading University. She wanted to compare a diet rich in animal fats with one that
used olive oil.
4.The results showed that the oily simplicity of the Cretan diet is its strength.
As the very essence of Mediterranean cooking, it lacks the piles of pasta favoured
by the Italians, the grilled meats of southern France or the chorizo (spicy sausages)
of Spain.
5.Spreading mountains of butter on toast is equally foreign to them. The
standard treatment for bread is to break it into lumps and dip them into a bowl of
6.'I don't think we're going to get people eating a Mediterranean diet here
because we don't have the climate for it, but we could incorporate the benefits of
olive oil into the foods we are used to,' she said. The scientific evidence is
sufficient to justify a really major campaign.'
А__ These scientists also say that the greener and more virgin the olive oil, the higher the
level of flavonoid chemicals. These stop cholesterol deposits sticking to the artery walls.
В__ But whether this diet will catch on with Britons is uncertain. Williams believes it's
unlikely that they will change their eating habits.
С.__ A significant reduction in heart disease was noted when rationing limited people's choice
of food during the Second World War and the years immediately afterwards. Once they returned
to their usual diet the number of patients quickly rose again.
D.__ In fact Cretans consume almost three times as much oil as northern Europeans, whose
diets tend to be dominated by animal fats. The oil undoubtedly brings many benefits.
E.__ Unilever, the food multinational, supplied her with a variety of apparently identical foods,
including ready meals, puddings and cakes, for a seven-month experiment involving two groups
of men aged 30 and 45. In half the meals the fat content was made up of animal products, the others contained olive oil instead.
F__ This discovery is one reason why leading doctors and scientists recruited by the European Commission are finalizing a Cretan dietary factsheet. This will be circulated to all family doctors
in the European Union, so everyone can benefit from the sun-kissed island's nutrition secrets.
G__ Unlike the British, the islanders have always had a low intake of meat and dairy products. Instead of decorating animal-based food with creamy sauces, they woulid much rather soak the
local aubergines, tomatoes and courgettes with their precious olive oil.
H__ In a development that could ereate a new fashion for Cretan food, nutritionists have found that the islanders have rates of heart disease, obesity and cancer far below those of people in Britain. They are also much lower than in other European countries.