Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America and increasingly, around our world. In a 2014 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers split more than 6,000 people- all at elevated risk for heart disease- into three groups. One ate a low-fat diet, and two ate variations of a Mediterranean diet. After five years, the ones that were on the Mediterranean diets were 30% less likely to have had a major cardiac event.
In, another study, this from researchers primarily based at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, examined some of the effects of a Mediterranean diet on telomeres. Telomeres my friends, are the bunches of genetic material that sit at the tips of our chromosomes and protect them from degradation, think of them as being a little like microscopic bumpers. Long telomeres are a sign of vibrancy, as the short or stunted telomeres are a creator of old age and a risk factor for more than a few diseases. Among literally thousands of middle-aged and older adults, the ones who adhered closely to the Mediterranean diet had the healthiest telomeres, this study concluded.
Immaculata De Vivo, that study’s senior author and an epidemiologist at Harvard, says, that the Mediterranean diet’s ability to fight oxidative damage may actually explain its links to both longer telomeres and longer life. The key [ingredients in] the Mediterranean diet have very well-known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which we know can counteract telomere shortening, she explains. While there are some dispute about exactly how much of those key components you should actually eat on a daily basis, De Vivo says lots of vegetables, fruits and nuts are essential.
Worth noting: De Vivo does not single out olive oil, being the food most often associated with the Mediterranean diet, as one of the plan’s champions. Although plenty of benefits have been associated with healthy, oils, like those made from olives, rapeseed and other plants, evidence suggests that we can overdo it ( and yes, even with cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil ).
Research from Antonia Trichopoulou, the president of Greece’s Hellenic Health Foundation, has proven that regular olive oil consumption extends life. However, while this may be due to the oil’s antioxidant and monounsaturated content of fat, it may also be because of the oil’s ability to enhance the flavor of vegetables and many other healthy foods, making people inclined to consume more of them. But my friends, you can still overindulge, and by simply substituting some olive oil for margarine or other cooking oils won’t lead you to the promised land, of all the health benefits associated with a Mediterranean diet.
In fact, all the efforts to distill the Mediterranean diet into a few of the lifesaving components have met with failure, for now. One prominent example is, the case of resveratrol, which is a type of phenolic compound found in wine and grapes. Numerous studies have linked regular, moderate intake of wine-the type of mealtime sipping associated with the Mediterranean diets-to a multitude of health perks, however, attempts to isolate and concentrate resveratrol have not shown to produce consistent benefits.
Research from Johns Hopkins University, Did not find any association between resveratrol consumption and lower rates of mortality or disease. When it comes down to diet, aging and good health things are not that simple and probably does not boil down to one single substance, like resveratrol, Richard Semba says, the lead author of Johns Hopkins study. Richard Semba point about resveratrol rubs up against a larger truth when it comes to longevity, the Mediterranean diets in general: not one food-nor even one category of food-can provide all the good stuff that your body really needs for a long life free of disease.
Health experts, do love the Mediterranean diets precisely because they are not restrictive. Though exact definitions vary, most will agree that the Mediterranean diet places an emphasis on eating lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains.The diet also allows for moderate amounts of poultry and fish, as well as having wine with meals. The diet tolerates (but generally discourages) red or processed meats, most dairy products, sweets and snacks-all the things linked to disease and death when consumed frequently.
You’ll notice there is no mention of any supplements, lemon-water binges or any of the other miraculous, shortcuts so often lauded by trendy diets. A truly good healthy diet is both more complicated and less tiresome than swallowing some pills or limiting yourself to the same old super foods, day in and day out. Semba says that many whole foods pack a nutritious cocktail of amino acids, polyphenols, fiber and other healthy nutrients that must be ingested in concert and can not be broken down into supplements or pills.
So what is the best diets for a healthy long life? You should stick mostly to the range of foods championed by the Mediterranean diet, ideally prepared yourself from the scratch, and yes, you can get away with a steak here or a dessert there. At least, that is your best bet for now. However, my friends, a burgeoning area of study could soon change the way that we eat to live a long life and dodge disease. It all revolves around the teeming bacteria that live in our gut.
If you want to live longer, and have a quality life, be at healthy as you can be, take these recommendations to heart. Fill up on oily fish rich in omega-3 fats, high-antioxidant veggies like dark, leafy greens. Dark, colorful berries, chewy whole grains like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and quinoa. STAY AWAY FROM fried foods containing saturated and trans fats, processed simple carbs like white-flour crackers and breads. Sweets and candy, artificial sweeteners, which some research suggests may negatively affect gut bacteria in a very big way.
The traditional Mediterranean diet is very rich in powerful antioxidants like vitamin C in oranges and tomatoes, carotenoids in cantaloupe and spinach, vitamin E in almonds and olive oil and anti-inflammatory compounds like omega-3 fatty acids in fish. I sincerely hope that this information will help you to live a long quality healthier life.
May you be always in good health, humbly your Paul Earl.
www.beautiflworid.com
So much valuable info. Thank you Earl!!
Good evening Sia, we thank you for visiting Weightlifting For A Beautiful World. We do all that we can to gather information, that will help everyone to be healthy, to get healthy, to live a long quality life. If it is ever anything that we can do for you please reach out to us. May you be always in good health, humbly yours Paul Earl.
Thank you for this much needed awareness abiu5our diet and healthy food intake. Personally I have gained a lot from your post here and thanks for shedding light on Mediterranean diet,i never knew it has so. Much nutritional benefits as stated by you. I will bookmark this post and share it around.
Good evening Charles, the Mediterranean diet is one of my favorite, it is very colorful, taste extremely good, and very good for you it’s one of the best. You’re most welcome my friend, and I am happy that you enjoyed this article. I thank you for visiting weightlifting for a beautiful world, if it’s anything that we can do for you please reach out to us. May you be always in good health, humbly yours Paul Earl.
Of all the diets out there, it has always been the Mediterranean diet that made the most sense to me. It is one of balance. One of healthy, whole foods that doesn’t over-restrict in a way that can be demoralizing. Like you state, so many of the trendy diets are so incredibly limiting and difficult to follow and/or adhere to for any length of time. I absolutely think that food is meant to be enjoyed and we are meant to consume a variety of foods.
Thanks for the great write-up. Many would do well to read and learn from this.
Good evening Steve, I agree with you in all of your points, it is one of my favorite diets, I indulge at least once a week. Is colorful, it tastes good, and it is so good for you. We thank you for visiting us, if it’s anything that we could ever do for you by all means reach out to us. May you be always in good health, humbly yours Paul Earl.
I am a believer in the life-giving power of the Mediterranean diet. In fact, I used to eat Pitted Olives, combined with Philippine rice as my regular meal, eaten three times a day. Those were the days when I felt my health is at optimum level.
Since I reside here in the Philippines which is very far from the actual Mediterranean location, the food I eat which we usually import from countries like Greece is quite expensive. Are these processed foods as good as those hand-picked fruits and Olives around the Mediterranean?
Good evening Gomer, first I thank you for visiting weightlifting for a beautiful world. I to my friend indulge in Mediterranean food at least once a week, I always have this surge of energy when I finish my meal, it’s like my spirit knows that this food is so good for my body. To answer your question as far as processed foods, there is no comparison, I personally 1000 per cent down on all processed food, it literally scares me. If it’s ever anything that we can do for you please contact us. May you be always in good health, humbly yours Paul Earl.
This Mediterranean diet looks absolutely brilliant, those meals look so good I don’t think it would feel like being on a diet, however, I do know that I should start taking my diet more seriously because not only am I over weight but almost all of my family on my fathers side have died from heart related problems and I have been told to get my health checked as these things do run in the family, however, I think I will start by paying more attention to my diet and I’ll be trying some of these meal recommendations of yours here in this post, thank you for sharing.
Good evening Russ green, thank you for visiting weightlifting for a beautiful world. Now I’m going to preach to you my friend, if you want to live a long quality life, and I believe you do, you must apply yourself to exercising, have a healthy diet, and do all that you can to be stress-free. Now I’m saying this in a good way, my calling in life is to help everyone that I possibly can to be healthy and live a long quality life, so when I say I am concerned, and want to help you all that I can, and I am saying that, it comes from my heart. So I am pleading with you please please follow my recommendations. May you be always in good health, and if it’s anything that we can ever do for you please reach out to us humbly yours Paul Earl.
Thanks for taking time to write on this Mediterranean diet. With so many types of diets out there, it can be difficult to determine which work and which don’t, or which are healthy and which are not. Please, do you have a post on how I can follow the Mediterranean Diet?
Thanks for your guide. Talking about heart disease, I know a friend who will really appreciate this post.
Regards!.
Good evening Jordan Smith, thank you for visiting weightlifting for a beautiful world. The Mediterranean diet, is absolutely one of my favorite foods, and as I have wrote it can indeed help your body to be in the best of health. To your question, actually I do and it is titled Mediterranean diet, you can find it on this website, and yes indeed by all means have your friend who has heart problems read my articles. If it’s ever anything that we can do for you please reach out to us, may you be always in good health, humbly yours Paul Earl.
Great article Paul,
I love Mediterranean food but I never knew it they have great telomeres! I love trying out new foods from different cultures and so far, I find the Mediterranean cuisines the best I’ve ever tasted. You could even say it’s my favourite, even more than Italian and finding out it’s actually pretty healthy, you can bet I’ll order more 😀
Good evening Riaz, Shah, you and I share something in common, the Mediterranean food, is one of my all-time favorite, the reason being it is colorful, the Taste is delightful and it is extremely good for our overall health. If you can include this most wonderful diet within your lifestyle at least once a week your body will love you. I thank you for visiting weightlifting for Beautiful World, if it’s anything that we can ever do for you please contact us. May you be always in good health, humbly yours Paul Earl.