08/06/2025
From the AMMG eJournal, Mediterranean Diet Could Help Women Live Longer, Harvard Study Finds: https://bit.ly/3Pun7SA. "The Mediterranean diet has long been linked to a bevy of health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and more — and now a new study has revealed a very specific new advantage for women.
In a long-running Harvard study published in JAMA Network Open, women who adhered to the heart-healthy, plant-focused diet were found to have a 23% lower risk of death from any cause.
The researchers attributed this lower mortality risk to improved cardiometabolic risk factors, according to the published study.
The study included data collected from 25,315 healthy women who participated in the Women’s Health Study over a period of 25 years, from April 1993 to January 1996.
Their average age was 54.
Researchers analyzed the women’s blood samples, biomarker measurements and self-reported dietary information from June 2018 to Nov. 2023.
Previous studies have also found associations between the Mediterranean diet and increased longevity, the researchers noted.
“Another meta-analysis of 21 cohort studies, which included 883,878 participants, reported that higher Mediterranean diet adherence was associated with 21% reduced risk of CVD mortality,” they wrote.
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is a plant-based nutrition plan that mimics the regional cuisines of the countries along the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy and Greece.
Primary foods in the diet include whole vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, and herbs and spices, according to Mayo Clinic’s website.
Olive oil is the primary source of added fat.
Other foods — including fish, poultry and dairy — can be incorporated in moderation.
The diet limits red meat, sweets, butter and sugary drinks." READ MORE HERE: https://bit.ly/3Pun7SA