Cut back on meats and dairy products if you want to live longer.
Sticking to a full Mediterranean diet provides substantial protection against major chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published on bmj.com today.
A 'score' based on adherence to the Mediterranean diet could be used as an effective preventive tool for reducing the risk of premature death in the general population, say the authors.
The Mediterranean diet from populations bordering the Mediterranean Sea has a reputation for being a model of healthy eating and contributing to better health and quality of life. It is rich in olive oil, grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and fish, but low in meat, dairy products and alcohol.
Make the grains whole grains and go light on them. Better to get your carbos from beans and other lower glycemic index foods.
People who stuck closest to the diet were healthier.
A team of researchers from the University of Florence assessed 12 international studies, which collectively included more than 1.5 million participants whose dietary habits and health were tracked for follow-up periods ranging from three to 18 years.
All the studies examined the concept of using a numerical score to estimate how much people stuck to the diet, called an 'adherence score'.
The researchers found that people who stuck strictly to a Mediterranean diet had significant improvements in their health, including a 9% drop in overall mortality, a 9% drop in mortality from cardiovascular disease, a 13% reduction in incidence of Parkinson and Alzheimer's disease, and a 6% reduction in cancer.
What vices do you have that pull you away from an ideal diet? Or do you find an ideal diet inconvenient due to work schedule and travel?
By Randall Parker at 2008 September 11 05:59 PM Aging Diet StudiesSince when are Mediterranean diets low in alcohol or dairy? Red wine is common, and so is cheese.
Olive oil and fish are the plusses. I don't agree that whole grains are bad for you. You are being to harsh on whole grains, as if they were as bad as red meat.
You can get the British Medical Journal article free at their website. I have it in my hands now.
The Mediterranean diet score devised by the study authors did not even measure consumption of olive oil (the predominant source of fat in the Mediterranean diet), and deducted points for dairy product intake. Cheese and yogurt are included in almost every expert's definition of the Mediterranean diet. It's an unusual diet score, and the researchers don't spend much time explaining their choices. As pointed out by TTT above, the authors did give a point for "moderate intake of red wine during meals." Again, they don't explain why they give a point for "red" wine. I bet few, if any, of the studies comprising the meta-analysis surveyed participants on whether they drank red versus white wine.
The BMJ article is getting lots of attention, which is good for public health, and for personal health of people who take diet seriously.
I will admit the association of the Mediterranean diet with lower incidence of Parkinson's disease is new to me. So, there's even more reason for me to recommend the traditional Mediterranean diet.
-Steve Parker, M.D.