Posted on 04/09/2005 12:06:48 AM PDT by nickcarraway
The Mediterranean diet is associated with longer life expectancy among elderly Europeans, finds a study published online by the BMJ today.
The Mediterranean diet is characterised by a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, and cereals; a moderate to high intake of fish; a low intake of saturated fats, but high intake of unsaturated fats, particularly olive oil; a low intake of dairy products and meat; and a modest intake of alcohol, mostly as wine.
Current evidence suggests that such a diet may be beneficial to health.
The study involved over 74,000 healthy men and women, aged 60 or more, living in nine European countries. Information on diet, lifestyle, medical history, smoking, physical activity levels, and other relevant factors was recorded. Adherence to a modified Mediterranean diet was measured using a recognised scoring scale.
A higher dietary score was associated with a lower overall death rate. A two point increase corresponded to an 8% reduction in mortality, while a three or four point increase was associated with a reduction of total mortality by 11% or 14% respectively.
So, for example, a healthy man aged 60 who adheres well to the diet (dietary score of 6-9) can expect to live about one year longer than a man of the same age who does not adhere to the diet.
The association was strongest in Greece and Spain, probably because people in these countries follow a genuinely Mediterranean diet, say the authors.
Adherence to a Mediterranean type diet, which relies on plant foods and unsaturated fats, is associated with a significantly longer life expectancy, and may be particularly appropriate for elderly people, who represent a rapidly increasing group in Europe, they conclude.
Online First (Modified Mediterranean diet and survival: EPIC-elderly prospective cohort study) bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/rapidpdf/bmj.38415.644155.8F
Meat is a part of the Mediterranean diet, but it's more of a condiment.
Conservative means not having to do things for show, and so that other will people "like" you.
I and my better half do not "look" conservative to a lot of folks. In fact, when we put our Bush/Cheney sign on our gate a number of neighbors who had snubbed us all of a sudden became friendly, because they didn't think people who looked like us could possibly be conservative.
That's just downright silly.
Right, and PETA people also think no one should drink milk. They are nutcase weirdos, giving vegetarians like me a bad name.
Been on my menu since a 2AM visit to the cardiologist....(I'm sure he got out of bed to save my life)
Come to think of it....I might resemble just that....
yes, preferably unfiltered Camels, in keeping with Mediterranean tradition. On a serious note, my great grandmother lived well past 90 on a primarily Mediterranean diet, and she also smoked throughout most of her life.
Because only vegetarians (not all, but some) have ever contended that they know what is best for me, and that I must (be made to if necessary) eat like them or else I will break the law and die, and ruin the planet along the way.
The beef industry, on the other hand just runs ads with pictures of yummy looking steak, and don't try to browbeat me if I feel like fish or something else.
Yep, skewered, marinated, and grilled lamb is a popular dish, and quite tasty I might add. Another method is to take ground lamb, mix in some chopped onions and green peppers with the meat, and make grilled "lamb-burgers"...yummy.
I thought I saw an article just a few weeks ago that said Greece had a 60% obesity rate, the highest in Europe.
I have to be careful about eating too much of anything with a carb. Should I ever be able to do any bootypopping successfully I'll know the diet is out of control ;-)
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