French Paradox

News Note

By Darren Buford

Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, October/November 2001.

French cuisine is world-renowned as some of the best and most rich food in the world. It comes as a shock then that there is much less heart disease in France than in the United States. A University of Washington study suggests the broader array of foods in the French diet is more likely to include representation from each of the five food groups than the typical American diet, which includes a less varied menu. Though the French consume large amounts of saturated fats (French women consume twice the amount of American women), another reason behind the “French paradox” may be their consumption of red wine and its beneficial effects.