Mediterranean diet leads to longer life

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A new study reveals that the Mediterranean diet is linked to a longer life expectancy among older people.
The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet have long been advocated. Now a team at the University of Athens shows that a high score on the Mediterranean diet plan can lead to a significant increase in life expectancy.

The study involved over 74,000 mean and women in nine European countries. Their diets were evaluated according to a scoring method that showed how closely they adhered to the Mediterranean style. Each two point increase was linked to an eight per cent reduction in mortality. A three or four point increase went with an 11 or 14 per cent decrease respectively.

What this means is that a 60 year old man who adheres well to the diet, with a six to nine point score, can live about a year longer than a man who does not follow the diet. The association was strongest in Greece and Spain, where people are more likely to follow a genuine Mediterranean diet. The key characteristics of this approach to eating are a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits and cereals and a moderate to high intake of fish. Saturated fat intake is typically low but that of unsaturated fat is high, including olive oil. Finally, intake of diary products and meat is low and there is a modest intake of alcohol, mainly in the form of wine.

Source
BMJ Online First 7th April 2005

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