Go Mediterranean: The Diet that Benefits Later On in Life

Women who consume more Mediterranean foods at midlife were more likely to maintain their weight until they reach the age of 70, according to a new study.

The new study from the United States surveyed 10,670 women in the Nurses Health Study who were aged between 50 and 60 about their diets and health average 15 years later. The researchers involved int the study found that "greater quality of diet at midlife was strongly associated with increased odds of good health and well-being among individuals", according to Cecilia Samieri of the French Institute of Health.

"Maintaining physical, cognitive, and mental health with aging may provide a more powerful incentive for dietary change than simply prolonging life or avoiding any single chronic disease", she added. The study also showed how following a healthy diet and lifestyle can improve quality of aging. "What people are interested in is avoiding any kind of disease or impairment with aging," said Samieri, a graduate of a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University in Boston. Nutrition professor, Carol Greenwood, from the University of Toronto expressed how she liked that the research looked at healthy diet as a whole, according to the Washington Post.

"The Mediterranean diet is thought to work by protecting our blood vessels that deliver nutrients to the brain, decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress", said Greenwood. Participants involved in the study were assessed twice and the researchers carefully controlled their physical activities, BMI and even smoking habits. However, the researchers also stressed that the study were mainly focused on white healthcare professionals and the results that they were able to gather may not necessarily apply to other demographics.