14 DAY TRIAL // A new study published in this week's issue of the British Medical Journal argues that, according to evidence at hand, people who embrace a Mediterranean diet are likely to live longer and stay healthy well into old age.
Thus, the scientists behind this investigation argue that the Mediterranean diet affects individuals at a genetic level. More precisely, they say that it benefits chromosomes, which, as detailed in the video below, are thread-like structures that pack DNA and that sit in cell nuclei.
In doing so, this particular diet helps keep cells healthy and young for longer. Consequently, it increases lifespan, slows the aging process, and even reduces the risk to develop all sorts of conditions associated with old age.
First things first, what's the deal with the Mediterranean diet?
As detailed in the British Medical Journal, the Mediterranean diet boils down to eating lots of veggies, fruits, legumes, buts, and grains. There are no restrictions on the use of olive oil when preparing meals, but saturated fats are pretty much off-limits.
Specialists go on to detail that, although they occasionally consume fish, those who opt for the Mediterranean diet do their best to stay away from dairy, poultry, beef, and pork. All types of alcohol are allowed, but wine is preferred.
How the Mediterranean diet prolongs life
To gain a better understanding of how this diet influences life expectancy and overall health conditions, scientists looked at the genetic profile of 4,676 healthy middle-aged women. They also asked the participants to this study to complete questionnaires concerning their dietary habits.
The focus of this investigation was on teeny tiny structures dubbed telomeres. Just like plastic tips serve to protect the end of our shoelaces, telomeres cap chromosomes and keep them safe. The thing is that, the more birthdays an individual celebrates, the shorter their telomeres get.
What's more, scientists say that, the more a person's telomeres shorten, the more likely they are to develop all sorts of diseases. What's interesting is that, as it turns out, the Mediterranean diet prevents telomeres from degrading and getting shorter. Consequently, it prolongs life.
Still, the specialists behind this investigation say that, as surprising as this may sound, there is no evidence that just one treat included in the Mediterranean diet has this positive effect on chromosomes. On the contrary, it looks like the combination of fruits, veggies, olive oil, fish, and red wine does the trick.
“To our knowledge, this is the largest population-based study specifically addressing the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and telomere length in healthy, middle-aged women. Our results further support the benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet for promoting health and longevity,” the scientists write in the British Medical Journal.
