- New research found the Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of dying by nearly 25%.
- The study also found that the diet lowered the risk of cancer and heart disease.
- Dietitians explain how to incorporate the diet into your eating plan.
The Mediterranean diet has been a buzzy eating plan for years, with an arsenal of scientific evidence to back up its many benefits. Now, there’s even more research to suggest it’s worth giving it a try. New research indicates that the Mediterranean Diet may help women live longer.
That’s the main takeaway from a new JAMA Network Open study. For the study, researchers followed 25,315 women for up to 25 years and analyzed information on what they ate, as well as 33 biomarkers, including measurements for insulin resistance and cholesterol levels.
The researchers found that women who closely followed a Mediterranean diet had a 23% lower risk of death from any cause. They also had a 20% lower risk of dying from heart disease and a 17% lower risk of dying from cancer.
“For women who want to live longer, our study says watch your diet,” senior author Samia Mora, M.D., a cardiologist and the director of the Center for Lipid Metabolomics at the Brigham and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in a statement. “The good news is that following a Mediterranean dietary pattern could result in about one-quarter reduction in risk of death over more than 25 years.”
Why might this be the case and how can you try out a Mediterranean diet, if you’re interested? Experts break it down.
Why might the Mediterranean diet help you live longer?
It’s important to point out that the study simply found a link between closely following a Mediterranean diet and living longer—but it didn’t prove that following this eating plan will help you live longer. Still, experts say it’s definitely possible.
“There are so many well-documented health benefits of eating this type of diet—including eating only certain components of this type of diet,” says Deborah Cohen, D.C.N., an associate professor in the department of clinical and preventive nutrition sciences at Rutgers University School of Health Professions. “Health benefits include reduced risk of hypertension or high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, certain types of cancer, and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, all of which contribute to morbidity and mortality in this country.”
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The Mediterranean diet is “rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and fiber, all of which contribute to its protective effects,” says Scott Keatley, R.D., co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. Foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds—which are encouraged in the Mediterranean diet—are high in antioxidants like vitamins C and E, flavonoids, and carotenoids, he says. “These compounds help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body, which can damage cells and DNA, potentially leading to cancer and other diseases,” he explains. “By reducing oxidative stress, antioxidants help protect against chronic diseases and cellular aging.”
But the Mediterranean diet also includes foods that are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, like omega-3 fatty acids in fish and polyphenols found in olive oil and red wine. Those compounds help lower chronic inflammation, which can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, Keatley says.
This diet is packed with high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. These help to regulate your digestive system, encourage regular bowel movements, and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, Keatley says. “Fiber also aids in maintaining a healthy weight by promoting satiety and reducing overall calorie intake,” he points out. “Additionally, soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol levels by binding to cholesterol in the digestive system and removing it from the body, thus supporting cardiovascular health.”
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes healthy fats like monounsaturated fats from olive oil and polyunsaturated fats from fish and nuts. These healthy fats help increase HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, “thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Keatley says.
Finally, this diet recommends limiting ultra-processed foods. “Reducing or eliminating these types of foods from the diet would be beneficial overall,” Cohen says. Karen Ansel, R.D.N., co-author of Healthy in a Hurry, agrees. “The power of the Mediterranean diet isn’t just about what you will eat,” she says. “It’s also about what you won’t eat, especially since the diet contains little red meat which may be problematic for heart health, and has few added sugars that can lead to overweight and obesity, which are hidden risk factors for cancer.”
Mediterranean diet basics
While the Mediterranean diet is talked about a lot in health circles, you may be fuzzy on what, exactly, it entails. In general, it emphasizes having plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, and olive oil.
The meal plan recommends eating a lot of these foods:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Fish and other types of seafood twice a week or more
- Olive oil
- Nuts and seeds
- Beans and legumes
- Whole grains
- Fresh herbs
The Mediterranean diet also allows for these foods in moderation:
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Dairy milk, cheese, and yogurt
- Red wine (up to one glass per day for women and two glasses per day for men)
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But the diet suggests limiting your intake of these foods:
- Refined grains and oils
- Red meat or deli meats
- Ultra-processed or packaged foods
- Foods high in added sugar, like pastries or candies
How to adopt a Mediterranean diet
It can be overwhelming to think about taking on an entirely new eating plan. If you’re interested in following a Mediterranean diet, dietitians recommend starting slow. “Start the diet by thinking about foods you should eat more of, not less of,” says Keri Gans, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet. She suggests doing things like adding a serving of fruit with breakfast, using whole grain bread at lunch, and having plenty of vegetables with your dinner. “Try new seafood recipes and ways to enjoy more legumes,” Gans adds.
Ansel says it’s important to keep in mind that the Mediterranean diet is “incredibly flexible.”
“You’ll find a huge variety of produce, whole grains, beans, pulses, fish, and seafood to choose from as well as small amounts of poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt,” she says. Once you get going with the diet, Ansel suggests aiming to have at least two servings of produce with every meal and having fresh fruit for snacks and desserts. “If that sounds like a lot, start with one serving of produce per meal and slowly increase to two when you’ve mastered that,” she says. “Then, slowly swap in whole grains whenever possible and trade meat for beans.”
Try to have fish like salmon twice a week, too, Keatley says. “Swap out processed grains for whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, and quinoa,” he continues. “Replace butter and margarine with olive oil for cooking and dressings. Making these gradual changes can help make the transition smoother and more sustainable in the long term.”
If you want extra guidance, Gans suggests talking with a registered dietitian, if your budget allows for it. They can “help individualize the diet to your personal goals,” she says. There are also plenty of Mediterranean diet cookbooks that walk you through how to make delicious Mediterranean diet breakfast recipes and options for lunch and dinner too.