Mediterranean Diet Linked to Longevity

A new study conducted by Dutch researchers suggests that opting for Mediterranean diet can prolong the lifespan in men by eight years and in woman by 15. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was conducted by researchers from University of Maastricht in Netherlands and looked into the diet of more than 120,000 people aged between 55 to 69 years.

Every participant was given a rating when the study started in 1996 based on four key factors, smoking, physical activity, body weight, and dietary habits. The researchers found that those men who leaned towards Mediterranean diet, avoided smoking and exercised for at least 30 minutes a day managed to live 8.5 years longer than those who did not follow the diet while those women who had high ratings in all four factors lived 15 years longer.

“I was surprised that the effect was so big. I was also surprised at the big difference between men and women”, lead researcher Piet van den Brandt said.

Source-Medindia