From study to study, we continue to discover new benefits to the Mediterranean diet. Classified for 6 years as “best diet for health”, this diet based on fruits, vegetables, olive oil, fish and cereals makes it possible to reduce the risk of heart attack by 30%, fight against chronic kidney disease , also reduces diabetes, and would improve our cognitive abilities.
But a new study from Harvard University (United States) and the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain), sheds new light on the benefits of the “best diet in the world”. According to these researchers, it is not only the Mediterranean diet that is good for your healthbut also all the way of life that accompanies it.
According to these researchers, the Mediterranean way of life includes, of course, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but also “physical activity and socialization as well as adequate rest”. It is all of these habits combined that “present a lower risk of all-cause mortality and cancer mortality”.
Healthy food, friends and… the siesta!
For this study, researchers analyzed the dietary and lifestyle habits of 110,799 members of the UK Biobank cohort, using the Mediterranean Lifestyle Index (MEDLIFE). The participants, aged 40 to 75, provided information about their lifestyle according to the three categories:
- Consumption of foods that are part of the Mediterranean diet such as fruits and whole grains
- Mediterranean eating habits like less sugary products, less salt and healthy drinks
- Adherence to Mediterranean lifestyle habits, including taking regular naps, exercising, and spending time with friends.
After following them for 9 years, they found that participants who adhered most to the Mediterranean lifestyle had a 29% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 28% lower risk of cancer mortality compared to those who were furthest from this way of life.
Source : Association of a Mediterranean Lifestyle With All-cause and Cause-specific Mortality: A Prospective Study from the UK BiobankMayo clinic proceedings, August 2023
