What makes the Mediterranean dietary patern so special?

Why do inhabitants of Greece and Southern Italy have such a low incidence of Coronary Heart Disease?

The answer goes back thousands of years, where we find recorded evidence of Polyphenol rich compounds used in medicine.

Polyphenol rich compounds, derived from the olive tree, were used by ancient Egyptians and Mediterranean cultures to treat a variety of health conditions. In fact, Polypheols derived from the olive tree are the first botanicals cited in the Bible as a NATURAL HEALER.

Active Compounds

Well known and well studied polyphenols and other flavonoids including Oleuropien, Hydroxytyrosol and Resveratrol are known to have antioxidant capacities almost 100% higher than green tea extract and 400% higher than Vitamin C.

But the story is not just an antioxidant story alone, Polyphenol rich compounds are commonly used in the alternative medicine community to fight colds and flu, yeast infections, and some viral infections.

Polyphenols are especially good for the HEART.

Polyphenol rich compounds have shown to reduce low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) or lousy cholesterol. Research has found that these compounds lower blood pressure and increase blood flow by relaxing the arteries.

Polyphenol rich compounds harbor antioxidant properties that help protect the body from the continuous activity of free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical substances that, when oxidized, can cause cellular damage if left unchecked.

Preliminary research has linked these free radicals with catastrophic illnesses such as liver, prostate, and breast cancer.