Young people usually suffer from heart problems, as they are genetically predisposed to it. But people with a genetic predisposition for heart problems and heave a sigh of relief, as according to a new study, by eating a Mediterranean diet their heart can function in a better way.

The study's leader Jun Dai, MD, PhD said, “This means that the autonomic system controlling someone's heart rate works better in people who eat a diet similar to a Mediterranean diet”.

The Mediterranean diet is connected to higher heart rate variability, which is a measure of the time between a person's heart beats. One of the risk factors of coronary artery disease is a lower variability in heart rate.

Conventional cooking methods are used in a Mediterranean type diet, which consists of legumes, fish, fruit, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. To provide flavor to foods, herbs and spices are utilized as opposite to salt and wine in moderate amounts.

A Mediterranean-style diet is low in saturated fats.