People living in southern Europe suffer far less from coronary heart disease than those living in the north and the reason for this is that they eat a much better diet, reports Andrew Martin.
The so-called Mediterranean diet is rich in fish, fruit and vegetables, along with whole grains, legumes, olive oil and moderate amounts of red wine.
A panel of leading scientists and experts discussed the role of seafood in the diet at a recent conference – the Mediterranean Diet Revisited – held at Fishmongers’ Hall in London.
The importance of omega-3 fatty acids present in oil-rich fish in particular to human health is now widely recognised, but the relationship between them and the omega-6 fatty acids present in cereals and vegetable oils in the diet is less so.
Also, the contribution of molluscs such as mussels and cuttlefish and squid is also not generally recognised, yet they formed a significant element of the original Mediterranean diet which came from Crete.
The presentations at the conference are available on the Fishmongers’ Company’s website.
