Those who stuck to the diet, consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, olive oil, fish and even a glass of red wine were 47 per cent less likely to develop heart disease over a 10 year period.
The study, from Harokopio University in Athens, is the first to track 10-year heart disease risk in a general population.
The study, presented at the American College of Cardiology's annual conference, is based on data from a representative sample of more than 2,500 Greek adults,
Nearly one in five of the men and 12 per cent of the women developed or died from heart disease, including stroke, coronary heart disease and heart attack.
