Death-defying diet - The Mediterranean diet - Brief Article

Better Nutrition, Oct, 2003

Here's yet another reason to give the so-called Mediterranean diet a try: According to a study published in the July 26, 2003 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine, adhering to the diet lowers an individual's risk of premature death from all medical causes, including heart disease and cancer.

The diet, which is based on plenty of vegetables, legumes, fruits and olive oil as well as regular consumption of fish, dairy and wine--but only very small amounts of beef and poultry--has long been recognized as healthful, in part because it emphasizes the intake of healthful fats. And in this most recent study, researchers found that the more closely people followed the diet, the less likely they were to die prematurely. Also, in communities where long-standing Mediterranean diets have been shifting toward more Westernized food choices, the prevalence obesity is on the rise.