Mediterranean diet linked to 23% lower mortality in long-term studies
In a Spanish study and three US cohorts, people with higher blood-metabolite scores associated with the Mediterranean diet had a 23% lower relative risk of death than those with the lowest scores, News-Medical reports. Separately, a study of more than 25,000 US women followed for nearly 25 years found that greater adherence was associated with lower mortality; the researchers linked part of that association to metabolic, inflammatory and other biomarkers, according to the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Bottom line — The findings are observational: they show an association, not proof that the diet itself prevents deaths.
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The metabolite score comprised 67 blood-plasma metabolites and was tested in Spain and three US cohorts, News-Medical reports.
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In the Spanish PREDIMED sample, the highest-scoring third had a 23% lower relative risk of death than the lowest third after an average 13.2 years.
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Across three US cohorts, 12,704 participants were followed for an average of 25 years; 4,111 deaths were recorded, News-Medical reports.
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The metabolite-score study found lower cardiovascular mortality, but the association with cancer mortality was not statistically significant after full adjustment, News-Medical reports.
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In the US women’s study, higher diet adherence was associated with lower all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says.
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The US women’s study recorded 3,879 deaths, including 935 from cardiovascular disease and 1,531 from cancer, over nearly 25 years.
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Researchers identified body weight, small-molecule markers of metabolic health, inflammation and blood-sugar control among factors most strongly associated with the mortality link, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reports.