March 8/London/States News Service -- Eating a Mediterranean diet "can reduce the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure," The Daily Telegraph reports. Mediterranean diets are typically high in fruit and vegetables, low in meat and use olive oil in place of dairy fats.
The news comes from a new review of research on the Mediterranean diet that combined and analysed the results of 50 studies in more than 500,000 people. Among the most notable findings were that those eating the diet had lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar and higher levels of "good" cholesterol. The study also found an overall reduction in symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors that increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.