Apparently it’s a very old story, not solely a modern phenonemon.
CT scans of Egyptian mummies, some as much as 3,500 years old, show evidence of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which is normally thought of as a disease caused by modern lifestyles, researchers said Tuesday.
However, the diet of these upper-crust Egyptians sounds remarkably familiar, laden with high-fat meats and salt.
The study’s results may mean scientists need to look beyond modern risk factors to fully understand what causes the condition, the researchers said.
Both groups, however, share some risk factors. The high-status Egyptians ate a diet high in meat from cattle, ducks and geese, all fatty.
And because mechanical refrigeration was not available, salt — another contributing factor in heart disease — was widely used for food preservation.
