Ancel Keys, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Seven Countries Study: A Review
The identification of the “Mediterranean Diet” (MD) by Prof. Ancel Keys is described here, alongside its confirmation through the epidemiological study known as “The Seven Countries Study of Cardiovascular Diseases” (SCS). Prof. Keys’ intuition on the possible dietary determinants of coronary heart...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/12/4/141 |
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| author | Alessandro Menotti Paolo Emilio Puddu |
| author_facet | Alessandro Menotti Paolo Emilio Puddu |
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| description | The identification of the “Mediterranean Diet” (MD) by Prof. Ancel Keys is described here, alongside its confirmation through the epidemiological study known as “The Seven Countries Study of Cardiovascular Diseases” (SCS). Prof. Keys’ intuition on the possible dietary determinants of coronary heart disease (CHD) was derived from several pilot studies conducted in various countries. His impression was that the healthy diet was eaten along the Mediterranean shores of Italy, former Yugoslavia, and Greece, characterized by a large intake of bread, cereals, vegetables, fruit, and olive oil, with a small intake of meat, milk, dairy, and sugar products. The SCS was conducted across 16 cohorts of middle-aged men in seven countries (USA, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Greece, and Japan), with assessments of usual eating habits, repeated medical examinations, and long-term follow-up. Analyses by Keys on the data from the first 15 years of follow-up indicated that low intake of saturated fatty acids (SAFA), usually derived from animal foods, was associated with the lower occurrence of and mortality from CHD, confirming the idea that a diet such as the Mediterranean Diet could be healthy. Further analyses by collaborators of the SCS, over a longer follow-up period, included the use of food groups and dietary scores of different types, confirming that cohorts with a Mediterranean Diet had a lower risk and death rate from CHD, whereas the reverse occurred in populations consuming an unhealthy diet. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-85e0bd08e8a641ba81180481cb5e02bf |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2308-3425 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
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| series | Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease |
| spelling | doaj-art-85e0bd08e8a641ba81180481cb5e02bf2025-08-20T02:28:29ZengMDPI AGJournal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease2308-34252025-04-0112414110.3390/jcdd12040141Ancel Keys, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Seven Countries Study: A ReviewAlessandro Menotti0Paolo Emilio Puddu1Association for Cardiac Research, 00182 Rome, ItalyAssociation for Cardiac Research, 00182 Rome, ItalyThe identification of the “Mediterranean Diet” (MD) by Prof. Ancel Keys is described here, alongside its confirmation through the epidemiological study known as “The Seven Countries Study of Cardiovascular Diseases” (SCS). Prof. Keys’ intuition on the possible dietary determinants of coronary heart disease (CHD) was derived from several pilot studies conducted in various countries. His impression was that the healthy diet was eaten along the Mediterranean shores of Italy, former Yugoslavia, and Greece, characterized by a large intake of bread, cereals, vegetables, fruit, and olive oil, with a small intake of meat, milk, dairy, and sugar products. The SCS was conducted across 16 cohorts of middle-aged men in seven countries (USA, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Greece, and Japan), with assessments of usual eating habits, repeated medical examinations, and long-term follow-up. Analyses by Keys on the data from the first 15 years of follow-up indicated that low intake of saturated fatty acids (SAFA), usually derived from animal foods, was associated with the lower occurrence of and mortality from CHD, confirming the idea that a diet such as the Mediterranean Diet could be healthy. Further analyses by collaborators of the SCS, over a longer follow-up period, included the use of food groups and dietary scores of different types, confirming that cohorts with a Mediterranean Diet had a lower risk and death rate from CHD, whereas the reverse occurred in populations consuming an unhealthy diet.https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/12/4/141Mediterranean DietSeven Countries Studycoronary heart disease |
| spellingShingle | Alessandro Menotti Paolo Emilio Puddu Ancel Keys, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Seven Countries Study: A Review Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease Mediterranean Diet Seven Countries Study coronary heart disease |
| title | Ancel Keys, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Seven Countries Study: A Review |
| title_full | Ancel Keys, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Seven Countries Study: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Ancel Keys, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Seven Countries Study: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ancel Keys, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Seven Countries Study: A Review |
| title_short | Ancel Keys, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Seven Countries Study: A Review |
| title_sort | ancel keys the mediterranean diet and the seven countries study a review |
| topic | Mediterranean Diet Seven Countries Study coronary heart disease |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/12/4/141 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alessandromenotti ancelkeysthemediterraneandietandthesevencountriesstudyareview AT paoloemiliopuddu ancelkeysthemediterraneandietandthesevencountriesstudyareview |