Mediterranean Diet Could Help Older Adults Prolong Life, Study Says

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests rigorously following a Mediterranean diet in senior years could help people live longer, reports Medical Daily . The diet involves high consumption of fruit, vegetables, fish, pulses, olive oil, and cereals, and less intake of meat and dairy products as well as a moderate amount of wine during meals. The researchers examined 5,200 older adults from Italy 65 or over, who were followed for eight years. They also included data from other epidemiological studies for a total of 12,000 subjects. A strong adherence to the diet was linked to a 25 percent lower risk of any cause of death. In addition, people who followed this diet were more likely to get sufficient exercise. When the influence of the diet was analyzed by excluding various components, the benefits appeared to decline when data showed an increase in saturated fats, less fish, a decrease of moderate alcohol, or less cereals.