萨吉·雷诺提出他观察到的法国高饱和脂肪摄取模式与CHD发病率之间明显脱钩,可使用联合国粮食及农业组织的数据来量化表达。[4][5]在2002年,法国人平均每天消耗108克动物脂肪,而美国人平均只消耗72克。相较之下法国人吃下四倍的奶油、多吃60%的奶酪、和将近三倍的猪肉。虽然法国人摄取的总脂肪仅比美国人稍微多一点(171克/天 vs 157克/天),但他们摄取的饱和脂肪更多,因为美国人摄取的大部分是植物油形式的脂肪,其中主要是大豆油。[6]然而,根据英国心脏基金会(英语:British Heart Foundation)的数据,1999年,美国年龄在35-74岁男性的CHD死亡率为每100,000人中有115人,但在法国是每100,000人中只有83人。
萨吉·雷诺在1991年与当时的初级研究人员心脏学家Michel de Lorgeril和营养师Patricia Salen合作以扩展研究。这三人把之前雷诺的研究强化,他们发表的论文,结论是:以西南部地中海饮食为基础的饮食内容;富含ω-3脂肪酸、抗氧化剂,以及包括“适量饮用”红酒,可降低癌症、心肌梗塞、和心血管疾病的发病率;部分原因是透过增加高密度脂胆固醇(高密度脂蛋白),同时又把低密度胆固醇(低密度脂蛋白)降低。[3]
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