Mediterranean diet proposed as part of UN treasures list, Crete

Holidaymakers to the Mediterranean this summer might be more tempted than ever to sample the local produce with news that its cuisine will be recommended to the UN as a "world cultural treasure".

The recommendation was proposed earlier this week by the Spanish government, which said that the cuisines of Spain, the south of France, Italy and Greece - based on olive oil, fish, tomatoes and other fresh vegetables and wine - qualifies for the UNESCO list of "unique cultural heritages".

The list, to be updated later this year, is currently open to nominees. Its so-called "intangible" list of treasures complements its better known group of certified heritage sites, such as the Great Wall of China and Chartres Cathedral.

UNESCO status would aptly reflect the Mediterranean diet's near-legendary health giving and life prolonging properties, as proved by several medical studies.

Residents of Crete might also wish to celebrate extra - a World Health Organisation study in 1995 nominated the island's cuisine as the healthiest of all. The esteemed French scientist Serge Renaud has also remarked that "Crete manifests the lowest mortality rates irrespective of the cause of death" in the world.

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