Mediterranean Diet Means Lower Risk of Death

I've written many unflattering articles about a number of fad diets and weight loss products that seem to be recipes for health problems or life-long up and down struggles with weight control. However, there is one popular diet that I have recommended and continue to recommend whenever I have the opportunity. That diet is the Mediterranean Diet. Unlike the trendier Cookie Diet, or hCG Protocol Diet, or a host of other fly by night plans, the Mediterranean Diet has withstood the rigor of numerous scientific tests and studies that show that it truly leads to better health and longer life. If better health and longer life are part of your goals for losing weight and eating better, then you should learn all you can about the Mediterranean Diet, and start planning your family's meals accordingly.

Newest Mediterranean Diet Study

The latest study of the effects of the Mediterranean Diet have just been released in the September British Medical Journal. The study's author performed a scientific review and analysis of studies involving over one and a half million subjects. In these studies the participants were followed for between 3 and 18 years to evaluate the long -term health effects of their diet. I don't know of any other diet out there that has even attempted to match this level of scientific rigor to prove itself. That's mostly because real doctors and scientists can see quite plainly that long term adherence to starvation diets of 500 calories a day with or without daily hormone injects like hCG have about zero chance of improving your health.

Mediterranean Diet Study Findings

First, and perhaps most importantly, people who were following the Mediterranean Diet had a 9% lower likelihood of death during the study periods. For me, you can stop right there. Not dying is plenty of reason all by itself to start following the Mediterranean Diet, but let's keep going. The study found a 9% lower chance of cardiovascular disease, so the Mediterranean Diet gives us better heart health. A 6% lower chance of cancer was found among Mediterranean Diet adherents. Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease each a 13% lower incidence as well, so we have improved quality of life and longer life to look forward to if we follow the Mediterranean Diet. Convinced yet? I am.

Exercise Adds More Health Benefits to the Mediterranean Diet

As with any diet, exercise is going to multiply your results not only for weight loss but also for overall health and disease prevention. You'll recall my recent article on the effectiveness of exercise in preventing colon cancer in which Dr. Elliot Chase of the Fox Chase Cancer Center told me "exercise specifically prevents a large proportion of a common cancer." He felt that with proper diet, exercise, and regular screening, most colon cancers could be prevented. Of course, the benefits of exercise on our cardiovascular system are well documented and widely known. Exercise has also been shown to delay or prevent the onset of numerous age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease, Osteoporosis, and others. Regular exercise can keep us healthy, alert, and active well into our old age and even extend our lifespan. So Although I am not a doctor, I'm going to write you a prescription for better health and a longer life: follow the Mediterranean Diet and make sure you get plenty of exercise.

Source: Sofi, F. BMJ online, Sept. 11, 2008. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/sep11_2/a1344