A Mediterranean-style diet may offer much more than delicious eating.
Longer Telomeres
A study of almost 5,000 women in the Nurses Health Study found that those whose diets most closely resembled a traditional Mediterranean eating plan with lots of veggies and not much meat had longer telomeres.
Telomeres are the caps on chromosomes, somewhat like the tips on shoelaces, and like shoelace tips, they are protective. Longer telomeres are considered to be biomarkers for longer lifespan.
The women provided blood samples for analysis around 1990 and also completed food frequency questionnaires every two years. The scientists assigned points for vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish, olive oil and moderate alcohol intake so the women could be assigned a Mediterranean diet score.
Entire Dietary Pattern, Not Just Olive Oil
The association of telomere length was not apparent with the individual components, only with the overall dietary pattern. The investigators calculate that women who were 3 points higher on the diet score were the equivalent of 4.5 years younger in biological terms.
It must be noted that the study only identified association and could not determine causation. In addition, women with the highest Mediterranean diet scores were also those who were more physically active and less likely to smoke, both factors associated with longer telomeres and greater longevity.
But if eating a tasty Mediterranean-style diet could also help us live longer, it sounds like a winning move.
For tips on how to follow a Mediterranean diet in your own kitchen, we recommend The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies. It has a description of the elements of the diet.
Or you could spring for the holiday bundle of Quick & Handy Home Remedies together with Recipes & Remedies from The People’s Pharmacy for additional guidance on Mediterranean-style cooking.
