RP324 Hearty French Feasting

RP324 Hearty French Feasting
When you think of French food—the rich creams, the buttery sauces, heaps of cheese, succulent red meat—do the words “heart attack” leap to mind?
Well, they shouldn't because despite eating four times as much butter and almost twice as much cheese as Americans, the death rate from heart disease in France is under half of what it is in the United States.
It's been called the French paradox, and scientists have linked it to various factors from the French habit of snacking less to the Mediterranean climate, which encourages more exercise.
The phenomenon, which contradicts common sense, has largely baffled scientists, but the prevailing theory about why this counterintuitive trend occurs is centered on the French love of red wine.
Research has shown that moderate consumption of red wine does have a positive effect on health and long life. Scientists originally thought that the chemical resveratrol was responsible for this effect, but it seems that resveratrol levels in red wine are too low to create an effect as large as the French paradox.
Another chemical has been found in wine that does occur in sufficient quantities to protect the cells in human blood vessels effectively. Oligomeric procyanidins occur in greater quantities in the wines of those French regions which have the healthiest people. Whatever the science behind the phenomenon, the revelation that wine could keep you heart healthy resulted in a huge surge in wine imports in the United States.
Other theories that attempt to explain the French paradox suggest that simple French eating habits, such as eating smaller portions of food over a longer period of time, have a positive influence on their health. French people tend not to snack between meals, eat less fried food, and take more time between courses to allow their food to digest properly.
Also, the sunny weather of southern France provides ample opportunities for the French to get larger doses of vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D helps prevent the hardening of arteries and reduces the risk of heart attacks.
Theories aside, it seems if you want to enjoy good food and still have a healthy heart, it's simply better to have been born French.