Eat Like a Greek

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you want to live longer, you might consider eating more like the average person from Greece, report investigators publishing in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine.

Their study of more than 22,000 adults in Greece shows those who adhered most closely to the traditional Mediterranean diet were significantly less likely to die from all causes.

Many studies have been conducted on diet and health, and researchers have identified specific foods and nutrients that appear to confer protective health effects. However, most have used data collected for other purposes. This study looked specifically at diet and longevity in a sample of the general population in Greece, where the traditional diet -- high in vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, cereals, fish, and olive oil, and low in saturated fats, dairy products, meat, and poultry, with a moderate intake of wine -- could lead to health benefits.

Participants were divided into groups according to how strictly they adhered to the traditional diet, and then followed for 44 months. During that time, 275 individuals died. Analysis showed those who stuck with the traditional diet had about a 25-percent reduction in overall mortality when compared with those who followed it less closely. The reduction in mortality was also seen specifically for both heart disease and cancer.

The investigators conclude, “The magnitude of the reduction in mortality associated with greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet is compatible with the reported survival advantage of adult Mediterranean populations over North American and northern European populations.”

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers a searchable archive of its medical reports written since 1995. To search, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/search/.

SOURCE: New England Journal of Medicine, 2003;348:2599-2608