It's quintessentially mediterranean befitting the man who first promoted the health benefits of the mediterranean diet. As a young scientist , key showed that among people in countries where fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful and olive oil flows freely-greece, southern italy southern france parts of north africa and the middle east- heart disease is rare.in countries where people fill their plates with beef cheese and other food high in saturated fat -like the united states-it's a leading cause of death