Research paper
Keys A, Menotti A, Karvonen MJ, Aravanis C, Blackburn H, Buzina R, Djordjevic BS, Dontas AS, Fidanza F, Keys MH, Kromhout D, Nedeljkovic S, Punsar S, Seccareccia F, Toshima H. The diet and 15-year death rate in the Seven Countries Study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 1986 Dec;124(6):903-915. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114480
Why we cite it
Provides the landmark 15-year follow-up data from the Seven Countries Study — the first systematic cross-cultural epidemiological study of diet and death rates — demonstrating that saturated fat intake predicted coronary heart disease mortality across populations and that Mediterranean populations consuming olive oil as their primary fat had dramatically lower death rates. Directly relevant to the project as the historical foundation for the Mediterranean diet's health reputation and as context for understanding why dietary fat quality (saturated vs monounsaturated) matters.
DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114480 · PubMed 3776973 · Publisher