Humans are eager to find ways to live long, healthy and fulfilling lives. The Mediterranean diet is a particularly popular way to try to improve longevity. But what exactly is the Mediterranean diet, and can it really improve your long-term prospects?
Well, as you’d probably expect, when people talk about the Mediterranean diet, they’re referencing the foods generally eaten in the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. Most people think of it in terms of Southern Europe – specifically Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal – but it may include parts of North Africa and the Middle East as well.
A good starting point for the Mediterranean diet is olive oil, whether you’re cooking other foods in it or using it as a dressing. The Mediterranean diet also includes lots of nuts, fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic as well as various leafy greens. Cereals (such as those used to make bread and pasta) tend to be wholegrain. These are the things you might eat every day.
As important as what you do eat is what you don’t, and while the Mediterranean diet does have moderate to high levels of fish and seafood, the amount of meat (especially red meat) is particularly low. It also tends to avoid the most sugary foods and refined, processed carbohydrates (like white flour).
Many people will be glad to hear that red wine has an important place in the Mediterranean diet, though not in excessive quantities. Other foods consumed in moderate amounts include dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. These may appear on the menu a few times a week.
People like to claim that people who eat this diet live longer, and there is indeed scientific evidence to support that argument (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/mediterranean-diet-and-longevity/B98CBA0D465AD88365EDC1BB58D8B860) from multiple studies (https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/mediterranean-diet-linked-to-longevity-say-harvard-researchers).
Some of the most commonly cited benefits of the Mediterranean diet include reductions in the risk of high blood pressure or heart disease, meaning improved heart health. It has also been associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes and as a more general tool for weight loss. Other conditions that may appear less likely with the Mediterranean diet include everything from cancer to Alzheimer’s.
Not all of these studies are conclusive and there may be other factors involved, but it does seem the Mediterranean diet can have a powerful impact on longevity.
