The French Paradox...What Do The French Know That We Don't?

The French Paradox? What is it?



No, nothing to do with Gene Hackman...that was The French Connection!

Well for starters the French are not famous for eating a healthy diet...in fact their diet is generally rich in saturated fats (lots of cheese, butter and pork), so you would expect high mortality rates related to coronary heart disease, right?

Wrong!

In fact, it is quite the opposite.

How is that, you ask?

We can firstly thank Samuel Black, a noted Irish physician in 1819 for recognising this phenomenon. You see, compared to other European countries such as Germany and the UK, the French people's rates of coronary heart disease were much less....hence the term French Paradox.

The most plausible and popular explanation is that the French people's consumption of alcohol is relatively high, especially red wine.

As you know (if you have been surfing this site), red wine is higher in antioxidants than white wine. The reason for this is that red grapes contain anthocyanins, which offer an array of health-promoting benefits such as antioxidant protection and protection for the heart too.

Another theory is that the French eat less refined carbohydrates than most Westerners, therefore resulting in less insulin resistance and less strain on the body too.

Although there is no direct or concrete proof of this...it does make sense and fit in well with the results from studies of The French-Paradox.

It makes you think, doesn't it?



Back From The French Paradox To Homepage