Eat Greek and Live Longer

You are going to read a magazine article about food and old age. Eight para­graphs have been removed from the article. Choose from the paragraphs (A-I) the one which fits each gap (14-20). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).

If you want to live to a healthy old age and eat well along the way, then per­haps you should move to the Greek mainland or Crete. These are the areas of Europe whose population live longest, thanks to their varied diet.

0). But although these people are healthy and live longer, this surprises some experts. A study of several vil­lages on Crete and the Greek main­land showed that fat made up 40 per cent of the average person’s calories, well over what most experts consider to be healthy.(C)

14). Researchers cannot yet explain why, though all of these products are pro­duced by cows, they should have such different effects on people. It is possible that a chemical change could take place during the process of making cheese and yoghurt.(_)

15). Whether it’s lactose or not, national pat­terns in other parts of Europe appear to confirm this theory. For example, Finns have one of Europe’s highest rates of heart disease, and it could be because they consume four times more milk and butter than the Greeks do. Another puzzle has come out of the study. This concerns tobacco.(_)

16). But it appears that their diet is so good that it can even overcome the dangers of smoking. This kind of diet could account for the surprising health of one of the study’s subjects, an 82-year-old Greek carpenter. He has enjoyed food and wine all his life and has never dieted or taken special exercise. He starts the day with bread and milk. At midday he eats a large lunch with lots of vegetables and feta cheese.(_)

17).He says he hardly ever eats butter and his favourite dessert is full-fat natural yoghurt with walnuts, honey and fruit. There is a high level of chemicals which resist poisons in this kind of diet and it could be the chem­icals that limit the effects of smoking.(_).

18).The study also suggests that wine is an important part of the Greek for­mula, but only at certain times and in certain amounts. The people who were studied drank wine regularly, but in moderate amounts and always with meals. This backs up a recent study, this time done in Italy.(_)

19).Or could the secret be in olive oil? All the people studied consumed large amounts of olive oil, although experts are still not certain it could be the oil which helps them live longer. A final part of this mystery could be a vital fatty acid, which according to research can prevent heart disease.(_)

20).But the search for a single magic ingredient may not be the answer. It may be that it is the whole diet that helps people to stay healthy and live longer, not just one of its individual parts.(_)

A. But most of this fat comes from cheese and yoghurt and very little from butter or milk. This could be the factor which makes the difference.

B. The resistant chemicals and many vitamins that are found in fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and other illnesses.

C. There seem to be similarities between the Greek mainland and Cretan traditional diets that may offer sci­entists a clue as to their beneficial effects.

D. Cretans consume 68 per cent more of this acid than the average European. Walnuts contain a great deal of this acid, and these are eaten in large quantities by Cretans and rural Greeks.

E. He eats all kinds of meat but mostly chicken. Everything is cooked in olive oil, and he also puts it on just about everything: salads, vegetables and cheese.

F. Many of the people studied, who are in their eighties, are smokers. Tobacco is a big risk factor for heart disease as well as cancer.

G. It has been proved that some foods prevent illness. Some other foods however, encourage it.

H. A Greek professor who worked on the study believes it may have something to do with lactose, which is the protein found in milk.

I. Men who drank between meals had a higher death rate than those who only drank when they were having a meal. In women there was an even greater difference.

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