Mediterranean diet has benefits even in old age

Mediterranean diet has benefits even in old age

A new study suggests the Mediterranean diet can prolong your life, even if you’re 65 or older.

Scientists have long known that the Mediterranean diet can offer health benefits, helping your heart, bones, brain if you follow it closely.

Now a study suggests the diet can prolong your life, even if you are 65 or older.

It was associated with a 25% lower risk of all-cause death among a sample of older adults in the Molise region of Italy, according to the study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Lead author Marialaura Bonaccio, an epidemiologist at the Mediterranean Neuromed Institute in Pozzilli, Italy, said the diet is rich in many anti-inflammatory foods such as olive oil, fibre and anti-oxidants which may play a role in improved longevity.

Bonaccio says, “the novelty of the study is that we particularly looked at benefits for older people.”

The study confirms previous findings, said Mercedes Sotos-Prieto, a professor of food and nutrition sciences at Ohio University who was not involved in the new research.

“The Mediterranean diet includes the healthy elements of a healthy eating pattern – including consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, olive oil, fish and low consumption of red and processed meats – along with a Mediterranean lifestyle that includes enjoying meals with family and friends,” she says.

“The Mediterranean diet is an eating pattern that can be easily maintained for a long-term, and that is reflected as well in the long-term benefits, including improving longevity.”

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