Mediterranean Diet Slows Down Ageing And Halts Killer Diseases, Says Research

Rapid ageing is a matter of concern for all. But Mediterranean food can slow the ageing process and reduce the incidence of many killer diseases. The diet has a fulsome combination of vegetables, fruits, nuts, olive oil. A glass of wine, taken at the end of the meal rounds up the course.

A recent study highlighted its manifold health-giving qualities. The study highlighted, among other things, longer Telomere length contributed by that diet. The Telomere is a crucial marker of slower ageing, according to a report in Medical News Today.

Harvard Study

The food researchers were led by "Immaculata de Vivo" from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. They collected data to examine how far an adherence to the Mediterranean diet contributes to the lengthening of Telomere. There were close to 5000 participants in the study, with each participant assigned a diet score, ranging from 0-9 points to signify closeness to their diet as in the Mediterranean diet. The researchers then adjusted the findings to explore the potential in calculating factors such as high body mass index.

Telomere Length

Telomeres are basically DNA sequences located at the end of chromosomes to protect the physical integrity of chromosomes and safeguard against the fraying and scrambling of the genetic code held within. But Telomeres get shortened, as people start ageing. It becomes half during the journey from infancy to adulthood; then halves again, when old age sets in. Shortened Telomeres will reduce life expectancy add to the risk of age-related chronic diseases.

But the new research affirms that Mediterranean diet can cut down overall mortality, control the incidence of chronic diseases and encourage healthy ageing, by virtue of its ability to manage Telomere lengthening. People who used to consume traditional Mediterranean foods in countries like Italy and Greece were exceptionally healthy compared to Americans. Studies have also shown that Mediterranean diet helps in reducing weight and preventing heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and untimely deaths.

According to a report in Authority Nutrition, the platter of Mediterranean food will contain the following

• More vegetables, fruit, nuts, legumes, unrefined grains
• Excessive intake of olive oil; low intake of saturated fats
• Moderately high consumption of fish
• Reduced intake of dairy products and poultry
• Moderate intake of alcohol such as wine with meals.

In Mediterranean diet, components of fruits, nuts and vegetables work to accentuate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and influence the Telomere length positively. Given the results of adherence to Mediterranean diet, paving way for longer Telomeres, even a change of one point in the diet score can slow down 1.5 years in Telomere ageing. But researchers caution that none of the individual components in the Mediterranean diet are linked to any increase of Telomere length. Therefore, following the whole dietary pattern is more important in getting the desired results.