Sticking to a Mediterranean diet may cut rates of major chronic diseases, researchers claim today.
Dr Francesco Sofi of the University of Florence, Italy, and colleagues reviewed all the available evidence on links between the “Mediterranean diet”, chronic disease and mortality.
They analysed 12 reliable studies with more than 1.5 million participants who were followed for between three and 18 years.
Daily diet was recorded by questionnaire, and rated on a standard scale of zero to nine for consuming meals judged to follow a traditional Mediterranean pattern. This was defined as one rich in olive oil, grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and fish, but low in meat, dairy products and alcohol.
A two-point increase in the adherence score was significantly linked with a reduced risk of death – which was cut by approximately nine per cent. It also appeared to reduce death from heart disease by nine per cent, death from cancer by six per cent, and rates of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease by 13 per cent.
On the website of the British Medical Journal, the researchers write: “Greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a significant improvement in health status.
“These results seem to be clinically relevant for public health, in particular for encouraging a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern for primary prevention of major chronic diseases.”
They say these new results confirm current guidelines that encourage a Mediterranean-like diet, and suggest that such a ‘score’ could be an effective preventive tool for reducing the risk of illness and premature death in the general population.
Sofi, F. et al. Adherence to Mediterranean diet and health status: meta-analysis. The British medical Journal, published online September 12, 2008.
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