Evidence suggests that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial to the health. Traditionally, the Mediterranean diet provides a high intake of green leafy vegetables, fruit and whole grain cereals, with moderate amounts of dairy and meat from fish and fowl. Individually some of these components may explain the protective effects of the diet, although likely some synergism increases the overall health effect. Populations that consume traditional diets are known historically for the health of their elderly, and the Mediterranean area has been studied with regard the longevity of its populations. For example, mountain regions of Sicily adhering to the Mediterranean diet show a six-fold higher rate of centenarians compared to the national average1. These centenarians have normal anthropometric measurements and only moderate sensory disability, with little sign of age related disease. Clinical trials support the contention that Western lifestyle disease can be prevented and reversed through adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
Switching to traditional eating plans such as the Mediterranean diet may therefore protect from age related degeneration, and such a contention is supported by evidence in the nutritional literature. For example, in a recent epidemiological study, researchers2 investigated the association between adherence to a Mediterranean style diet and the risk of frailty in community dwelling people over 65 years of age. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was measured using the Mediterranean diet score (0-9 based on the inclusion of particular Mediterranean diet characteristics) using a frequent food questionnaire and frailty was determines based on muscle strength, exhaustion rates, walking speed and physical activity levels. The results showed that higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet, as determined by a higher Mediterranean diet score, was associated with a lower odds of developing frailty, when compared to a lower Mediterranean diet score. Therefore the Mediterranean diet may prevent age-related degeneration.
