The Cretan version of the Mediterranean diet as it was used on the island in the 1960s was distinctive in several respects because it contained:
-A higher proportion of total calories from fat (40% ), almost all of it from olive oil. It was low in animal fats (butter was rarely eaten) and saturated fats.
-A relatively low level of carbohydrate intake (45% of daily calories), withmost of the carbohydrates coming from fruits (2 to 3 per day) and vegetables (2 to 3 cups per day)—many of them foods with a low glycemic index. Vegetables are an integral part of meals in the Cretan diet—they are not considered side dishes.
-Generous portions of whole-grain bread (8 slices per day). The bread was made from slowly fermented dough, however, and had a lower glycemic index than most contemporary breads.
-Moderate intake of fish (about 40 grams per day), which, however, is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
-A higher intake of meat than in most versions of the Mediterranean diet, mostly as lamb, chicken, or pork.
-High intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA; an omega- 3 fatty acid thought to lower the risk of heart disease) from nuts (particularly walnuts), seeds, wild greens (particularly purslane [Portulaca oleracea]), and legumes. Lamb is also a good source of ALA.
