Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Best Diet for Life

This topic was published in the Pheladelphia Inquirer by Dr. Ranit Mishori.

The MEDITERRANEAN diet is among the most highly recommended eating plans. But which of its components brings the biggest benefits? In a recent study in the British Medical Journal, researchers tracked 23,000 adults in Greece. They found that eating a lot vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes(like beans and peas) had the greatest impact on increasing longevity. Also associated with a longer lifespan: consuming moderate amounts of alcohol and less meat. Surprisingly, a high intake of cereals and seafood had little to no positive effect.

In related researh, a study in the Archives of Neurology showed that the Mediterranean diet reduced people's risk of experiencing dementia or of its progressing. In a group of adults with no dementia symptoms at the study's start, those who most closely adhered to the Mediterranean diet had 28% lower risk of developing cognitive impairment. In a group that already had impairment, the people who best followed the plan had a 48% lower risk of getting full-blown Alzheimer's disease.

2 comments:

ErnestoDR said...

Pareng Mike,

I knew about this diet here in Toronto where many people from the Meditteranean reside. They put claim that the diet is good for the health.

I like the Greek food specially the salad with goat cheese (Feta), and of course the famous souvlaki.

Bon appetit! To long life!

lucille said...

I had the chance of tasting this diet when I visited Lebanon and Syria, and I can say it is more on veggies. I was awed by the art they present the dishes in the restaurant.
The dishes taste good for people who are used to eating veggies but I suppose the preparation of the diet entails careful planning ..it is quite time consuming.
We can start if we wish to have a healthy and long life !