A large-scale study that tracked over 25,000 women for more than two decades has uncovered compelling evidence linking the Mediterranean diet to increased longevity, according to researchers. The findings, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, suggest that women who closely adhered to this dietary pattern experienced a significant reduction in the risk of mortality, including from leading causes such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
"For women interested in longevity, our study shows that following a Mediterranean dietary pattern could result in about one-quarter reduction in risk of death over more than 25 years with benefit for both cancer and cardiovascular mortality, the top causes of death," stated Dr. Samia Mora, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, in an email.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes a plant-based approach to eating, with a focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds, and a liberal use of extra-virgin olive oil. Red meat is consumed sparingly, while oily fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, is encouraged. Eggs, dairy, and poultry are allowed in moderation, contrasting with the typical Western diet.
"In this study, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was a proxy for diet quality. Those who adhered most closely were eating more legumes, more vegetables, more fruits, less meat, and less processed meats," explained Dr. David Katz, a specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine and founder of the nonprofit True Health Initiative, who was not involved in the research.
While the study was observational and could not establish a direct causal link, Katz expressed confidence in the findings, stating, "We may be comfortable inferring that a high-quality diet did, indeed, cause a lower risk of death."
The study, led by Shafqat Ahmad, an associate professor of molecular epidemiology at Uppsala University in Sweden, revealed a graded association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and reduced mortality risk. "Each increase in adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 6% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 5% reduced risk of dying from either heart disease or cancer," Ahmad said in an email.
The researchers emphasized the importance of studying the diet's specific effects on women, as previous data has often overlooked gender-specific nuances. By closely following the Mediterranean dietary pattern, the study found that women could reduce their risk of early death by 23%, their risk of dying from cancer by 17%, and their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 20%.
