They may smoke more than Americans and their health care system is far from perfect, but Greeks usually live longer than their U.S. counterparts, and they have some of the world's lowest rates of heart disease and cancer.
The secret may be their olive-oil-drenched diet.
Scores of scientific studies in the past decade have shown that olive oil, which is high in monounsaturated fat—the "good" fat—may prolong life by combating coronary heart disease and different types of cancer.
No wonder the Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the father of medicine, is said to have referred to olive oil as "the great therapeutic."
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