A study by Maroto-Rodriguez and colleagues (2023) based on 10,799 people aged 40 to 75 years from the British Biobank cohort confirms this: Mediterranean lifestyle is life-prolonging and associated with reduced cancer mortality.
Lifestyle factors were divided into three blocks for the study:
Mediterranean food consumption (12 items) for food intake, e.g. sweets, red meat, nuts
Mediterranean dietary habits (7 items) on habits and practices around meals, e.g. limiting salt at mealtimes and consuming healthy drinks
Physical activity, rest, social habits, sociability (6 items), e.g. sleep, sport and socializing with friends.
ALL blocks of the MEDLIFE index were independently associated with a lower risk of all-cause death and cancer, and block 3 was associated with lower CVD mortality.
A Mediterranean lifestyle led to a 29% reduction in overall mortality and a 28% reduction in cancer mortality.
WHAT ARE THE MOST POWERFUL FACTORS IN LIFESTYLE?
Diet with lots of vegetables, nuts, healthy drinks and regular fish/seafood consumption
little salt and sugar and bad fats, red and processed meat
Sufficient sleep and rest
Being physically active and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle
Socially supportive environment and socializing with friends and family
FIGURE.
A, B and C after Javier Maroto-Rodriguez 2023: Associations (HR, 95% CI) between each MEDLIFE index item and all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality in the UK Biobank cohort (N¼110,799).
Shown is 1 point versus 0 points.
The model is adjusted for sex, age, ethnicity, education, deprivation index deprivation index, region of investigation, smoking status, energy intake and MEDLIFE score excluding the corresponding item.
What are the mechanisms of action?
A Mediterranean diet has an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. This leads, for example, to the prevention of DNA damage and the slowing down of metastases
Anti-ageing effects of physical activity, e.g. reduction of inflammation, improvement of mitochondria, homeostasis and stem cells
Sleep disturbances and insufficient rest lead to increased inflammation, mortality and susceptibility to disease
Social support and integration reduces stress-related inflammatory reactions and thus mortality and illnesses
Conclusion
A Mediterranean lifestyle leads to a lower overall and cancer mortality rate.
The more this is practiced, the greater the positive effects.
You don’t have to live in the Mediterranean, just adopt the lifestyle.
It’s best to start right away.
Then you will realize that it is also fun.
Maroto-Rodriguez J, Delgado-Velandia M, Ortolá R, Perez-Cornago A, Kales SN, Rodríguez-Artalejo F, Sotos-Prieto M. Association of a Mediterranean Lifestyle With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: A Prospective Study from the UK Biobank.
Mayo Clin Proc.
2023 Aug 8:S0025-6196(23)00305-1.
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