Recently in London, England, an Italian professor at the Palermo University has suggested that perhaps the reason for Mona Lisa's grim outlook is ill health, specifically high cholesterol.

Professor Vito Franco has indicated that the colors and physical body of the women, Mona Lisa, do indeed suggest that she may have suffered from several illnesses. It is the distinct yellowish tint that Leonardo Da Vinci gave the woman around her left eye that is suggestive of a condition known as xanthelasma, which is a yellowish gathering of fatty acids beneath the skin. The build up of fatty acids under the skin to the point of being externally visible is one of the strongest indicators of high cholesterol, says Professor Franco.

His claim stems from his belief that the artist captures the subject as she sits before him. Therefore an ill subject will be rendered such in the portrait whether or not the artist intended it to. Skeptics are very quick to point out that it is a painting not a photograph and the colors choices may have simply been just that: color choices - indicating mood instead of a physical state.

However, perhaps Professor Franco should not be written off so quickly. Xanthoma is indeed a skin condition where fat will build up under the skin. It appears on the outside tinged with yellow, looking something like a bruise or discolored bump. This is a condition that is commonly associated with high cholesterol as it is the build up of fatty acids that is one of the hallmarks of high cholesterol.

Additionally, one of the ways in which historians, and yes, even physicians, look at the past is through paintings. After all, we have not always had the digital camera. Without exact images, we must depend on the portraits to inform us of the past and this does include medical conditions. And Professor Franco is not the first to do so.

The ancient Egyptian religious leader, Akhenaten, has been the subject of such debate because of a portrait of him that depicts him as having very abnormal body features. There has been speculation that he may have suffered from one of many ailments, including diabetes. Edvard Munch's painting, "The Sick Child," is a clear depiction of his sister who was seriously ill with tuberculosis and died at the age of fifteen. One cannot ignore here that the art does inform us about the health of those during that time. Johanne Sophie, Munch's sister, is a clear image of how tuberculosis manifested itself on the exterior of the body.

It can also not believed that Mona Lisa had high cholesterol. She could have had that grin due to bad health too. The peculiar thing is that the professor used the painting to diagnose a condition that is mostly inside the body.

In olden days there hardly any improvement in technology to diagnose diseases. The same method used by Franco is the regular method of diagnosing medical conditions in olden days.

If you would like a natural treatment for high cholesterol, check out our guide to lower cholesterol naturally.

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