According to studies, diet has a major influence on heart health. The people of the Mediterranean are showing us how to do it. 

"The heart sometimes trembles and is sick, and this sometimes happens with bad heat and sometimes without heat, and sometimes the sufferers sweat a lot. If the complaints come from too much heat and too much blood, you should bleed on the left hand and rub it with poplar ointment or violet oil. This is what the Würzburg doctor Ortolf von Baierland wrote about general heart complaints. And even Johann Hartlieb recommended preparations of hot and dry nature such as amber, St. John's wort, saffron, cloves, amber or verbena for heart problems as early as the Middle Ages.

Then as now, cardiovascular diseases are among the most frequent causes of death in Germany. In most cases, a healthy lifestyle with little exercise and an unbalanced diet are the reasons why such a disease develops in the first place. However, the right food can reduce the risk of heart disease. Various scientific studies have shown that plant foods in particular are beneficial to heart health. But not only vegan food, but also Mediterranean cuisine with lots of vegetables can help to protect against cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the Mediterranean cuisine stands for conveying the desire and joy of eating.

So if you always follow the recipes of Mediterranean cuisine, and preferably start doing so in childhood, you will contribute to better vascular function in young adulthood. This reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, but also other chronic conditions such as cancer or diabetes. This conclusion was drawn by health experts because in the 1960s it was found that people in the Mediterranean region were less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease and live to be older than in other countries. And even today, various studies prove the positive effect of the traditional Mediterranean diet with vegetables, salad, fish and olive oil.

One and a half to two litres of mineral water, diluted fruit juices or unsweetened fruit and herbal teas should be drunk daily to accompany the diet. Drinks containing caffeine are only recommended in moderation. And by the way, you lose weight and relieve your metabolism - because overweight is a risk factor for many diseases, just like cigarette and alcohol consumption.

Hardened vessels are usually caused by fat deposits in the vessel walls. In particular, the unfavourable LDL cholesterol is deposited. Its value can be reduced with the help of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are absorbed through food and cannot be produced by the body. Therefore, it makes sense to replace French fries, convenience products, meat and sausage with walnuts, sea fish and rapeseed oil. Wholemeal products also promote digestion - and they keep you full for a long time.

The people of the Middle Ages knew this instinctively: while poor farmers had to limit themselves to cereal products, of course, rich merchants and feudal lords were able to serve increasingly exotic foods thanks to the spread of Europe-wide trade: they enjoyed vegetable products that came as vegetable seeds from southern Europe or cod brought from the Nordic coasts in dried form.