Mediterranean diet ward off heart disease

A report from New England Journal of Medicine shows that a traditional Mediterranean diet (characterized by a high intake of olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and cereals; a moderate intake of fish and poultry; a low intake of dairy products, red meat, processed meats, and sweets; and wine in moderation, consumed with meals) is effective as a primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. You can find the article in layman term at NYTimes. However, Dr. Esselstyn, the author of the best seller “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure” dismissed the study. He believe in strict vegan diet and not even allowing olive-oil. My take? If you are healthy with no known family history of cardiovascular disease, I think an occasional small amount of olive-oil is fine (it is probably the healthiest oil out there). But if you have cholesterol issue or had some history of cardiovascular disease, I would say it is probably wiser to listen to Dr. Esselstyn.