Advanced Mediterranean Diet

A small scientific study of New York Alzheimer patients demonstrated significant increase in lifespan in those who had the highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet.  192 community-based individuals were followed for an average of 4.4 years (up to 13.6 years).  They were divided into three groups of Mediterranean diet adherence: low, medium, and high.  Compared to the people with low adherence, the others lived between 1 and 4 years longer.  Those with highest adherence lived the longest, suggesting a dose-response effect like we would see with many drugs.  No other diet has demonstrated this effect.

This same research group had previously reported that the Mediterranean diet lowered the risk for developing Alzheimer Disease in the first place.

Unfortunately, they did not report on whether the Mediterranean diet helped preserve brain function.  (Don’t be surprised if that appears in a future journal article.)  Prolongation of life by itself may be more of a curse than a blessing in advanced Alzheimer Disease.

Reference: Scarmeas, N., et al.  Mediterranean diet and Alzheimer disease mortality.  Neurology, 69 (2007):1,084-1,093.

We now have results of the first U.S. study on mortality and the Mediterranean dietary pattern.  380,000 people, aged 50-71, were surveyed on their dietary habits and scored on their conformity to the Mediterranean diet.  They were visited again 10 years later.  As you would expect, some of them died.  12,105 to be exact: 5985 from cancer, 3451 from cardiovascular disease, 2669 from other causes.  However, the people with the highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet had better survival overall, and specifically better odds of avoiding death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.  Compared to the people with low conformity to the Mediterranean diet, the high conformers were 15-20% less likely to die over the 10 years of the study.  The study authors, funded by the National Institutes of Health, noted eight similar studies in Europe and one in Australia with similar results.

Once again, my promotion of the Mediterranean diet is vindicated by the scientific literature.  I’m not aware of any other diet that can prove anywhere near this degree of health benefit.  If you are, please share. 

Reference: Mitrou, Panagiota N., et al.  Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Prediction of All-Cause Mortality in a US Population,  Archives of Internal Medicine, 167 (2007): 2461-2468.