The Mediterranean diet is characterized by being rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes and its main source of fat is olive oil, especially extra virgin. It also includes a moderate consumption of fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs, and a limited intake of red meat, sweets and processed foods.
Numerous scientific studies support the health benefits of this eating pattern and now a new study involving 25,315 American women who were followed for a period of up to 25 years has found that participants with good adherence to the Mediterranean diet had up to 23% lower risk of mortality from any cause, with benefits for both cardiovascular health and cancer prevention.
The new study was conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, affiliated with Harvard University, who found evidence of biological changes that could explain these improvements in longevity. “For women who want to live longer, our study suggests taking care of their diet,” said Samia Mora, cardiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and lead author.
“Following a Mediterranean dietary pattern could result in approximately a quarter reduction in the risk of death over 25 years, with benefits for both cancer and cardiovascular mortality, the leading causes of death in women and men in the United States.” United and worldwide,” he adds. The results of the work have been published in JAMA Network.
Long-term benefits of the Mediterranean diet
Researchers looked at the long-term benefits of adhering to a Mediterranean diet in a US population recruited as part of the Women’s Health Study and examined biological mechanisms that could explain the diet’s benefits. To do this, they evaluated a panel of approximately 40 biomarkers representing various biological pathways and clinical risk factors. Biomarkers of metabolism and inflammation were the most important, followed by triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, adiposity, and insulin resistance.
“Our research provides significant insight for public health: even modest changes in established risk factors for metabolic diseases, particularly those related to small molecule metabolites, inflammation, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, obesity and insulin resistance, can lead to “substantial long-term benefits from following a Mediterranean diet,” said senior author Shafqat Ahmad, associate professor of epidemiology at Uppsala University, Sweden, and investigator in the Brigham’s Center for Lipid Metabolomics and Division of Preventive Medicine.
“Following a Mediterranean dietary pattern could lead to a reduction of approximately a quarter in the risk of death over 25 years”
The authors have acknowledged certain key limitations of the study, for example, that only middle-aged, well-educated, predominantly white, non-Hispanic female health professionals participated. Additionally, the study relied on food frequency questionnaires and other self-reported measures, such as height, weight, and blood pressure. However, the strengths of the study include its large scale and long follow-up period.
Researchers have also noted that, as the concept of the Mediterranean diet has gained popularity, the diet has been adapted in different countries and cultures. “The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are recognized by medical professionals, and our study offers information about why the diet may be so beneficial,” said Mora, concluding that “public health policies should promote the qualities of the Mediterranean diet and discourage unhealthy adaptations.”
