Mediterranean diet better at treating heart disease

Heart disease is better treated with a Mediterranean-style diet than cholesterollowering drugs, it has been claimed.

A study found those who had a diet rich in vegetables, nuts, fish and oils were a third less likely to die early, compared with those who ate larger quantities of red meat, such as beef, and butter.

A global conference on heart disease in Rome was told those who ate mainly along Mediterranean lines were 37% less likely to die during the study than those who were furthest from this dietary pattern.

Previously, drugs such as statins were believed to be the most effective method of combating heart disease, the leading cause of death in the UK.