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The Mediterranean diet (MD) contains vegetables, cereals, legumes, fish, olive oil, and red wine and is associated with reduced mortality from cardiovascular diseases. These diseases are also less common in persons whose platelet and white cell counts are in the low normal range, but whether the MD is associated with lower platelet and leukocyte counts is uncertain.
To examine the relationship between diet and blood cells, Italian investigators conducted a population-based cohort study in which they assessed platelets, white cells, and adherence to the MD in 14,586 healthy persons. Their principal observations were as follows:
Mean platelet and white cell counts were significantly lower with greater adherence to the MD (P<0.0001 and P=0.008, …