Cretan Meat

The meat which was mainly consumed by Cretans was lamb and goat, and less often veal and pork. Consumption of red meat was small in general, and this appears to have contributed significantly in the protective effects of the Cretan diet in people’s health. Frequent consumption of red meat increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and has been connected with the occurrence of large intestine cancer, while it may also be involved in the etiology of other types of cancer (Kushi et al. 1995). Its high content in saturated lipids as well as the formation of carcinogenic substances when cooked appear to be responsible for its adverse effects in our health.