Ansel Keys and the Mediterranean Diet

Ansel Keys was pivotal in shaping dietary habits, particularly through his invention of K-rations for World War II soldiers. Despite an early academic focus on political science and oceanography, Keys developed a profound interest in cardiovascular health, leading him to be a vocal opponent of cholesterol. Together with his wife Margaret, he promoted the Mediterranean diet through best-selling books, allowing them to enjoy a prolonged stay in Italy. Their long lives suggest the diet's efficacy, contrasting with processed foods like Twinkies that persist long after their creators.