High Adherence to Mediterranean Diet Linked to Marker of Healthy Aging

By Larry Husten

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

Women who closely follow a Mediterranean diet have longer telomeres, a key measure of healthy aging, a BMJ study finds.

The study included some 4700 Nurses' Health Study participants who completed food-frequency questionnaires and who also had their telomere length measured. Women who adhered closely to a Mediterranean diet (emphasizing vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish, and monounsaturated fats, plus moderate alcohol intake) had longer telomeres after adjustment for characteristics likely to influence telomere length, including age, body mass index, smoking history, and exercise.

The authors calculated that the difference in telomere length among women who were more adherent to the Mediterranean diet could translate into an average gain of about 4.5 years of life, roughly comparable to the difference between nonsmokers and smokers or being highly active and less active. "Our results," they conclude, "further support the benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet for promoting health and longevity."