If people with heart disease eat more like a Mediterranean diet—lots of fruits, veggies, fish, whole grains, and a little alcohol—they’re slightly less likely to have serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes.

People with heart disease who eat more fruits, veggies, fish, and a little alcohol each week tend to have fewer serious heart problems — and even small improvements in these habits might help.

People who follow the Mediterranean diet more closely—like eating more veggies, fish, and olive oil—tend to have a lower chance of dying from heart disease, and every little step up in following the diet cuts their risk by about 9%.

People in Greece who eat lots of healthy plant foods like whole grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables over 10 years are much less likely to get heart disease than those who eat very little of these foods.

People who eat like Mediterraneans—lots of veggies, olive oil, fish, and nuts—tend to have fewer heart problems, no matter where they live or how much money they make, so this way of eating might help heart patients everywhere.

Eating lots of typical Western junk food — like fries, soda, and sweets — doesn’t seem to make heart problems worse for people who already have stable heart disease, even when you account for things like age, smoking, and exercise.