Scientists have wanted to know what specifically made the Mediterranean Diet heart-friendly since it trended among dieters. The ingredients like vegetables, fish, olive oil and beans were individually healthy. But do they make any difference when mixed together?

A study by London and American researchers finally broke the mystery: nitro fatty acids.

The researchers fed Mediterranean diet to lab mice and found out how the ingredients in the diet directly affected the risk of cardio-vascular disease.

Nitro fatty acids are a type of chemical that forms when a ‘combination of olive oil and leafy salad or vegetables’ is eaten. According to researchers, nitro fatty acids are created when chemicals inside olive oil, fish and vegetables are mixed together. Eating a Mediterranean diet meal allows this to happen.

A study on the effects of nitro fatty acids further revealed that these chemical can stop the action of the enzyme soluble epoxide hydrolase. This leads to lowered blood pressure and, consequently, lower risk of heart attack and other cardio-vascular diseases.

Although the research results had been positive, the researchers suggest that further tests are needed to see whether the same results could be seen in humans.