Mediterranean diet and exercise for a longer life
Publication Date:11/12/2007
It's been well known for years that a balanced diet and regular exercise can help us stay healthy. But two new studies have now looked particularly at whether people live longer if they eat a Mediterranean-style diet and do regular exercise.
What do we know already?
A Mediterranean-style diet is high in fruit, vegetables and olive oil, and low in meat and dairy products. It's often seen as one of the healthiest ways of eating.
Exercise is also good for our health. Official advice in the US and the UK says people should do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity a day.
Researchers have now done a large study looking at retired people in the US between the ages of 50 and 71. They were all asked about their lifestyles, and most were then followed up for at least five years. Researchers wanted to find out if a healthy diet and exercise really helped people live longer.
What do the new studies say?
The results were clear. Eating healthily or exercising regularly both meant that people were more likely to be alive five years later.
Out of 1,000 men aged 50 to 71 whose diet closely matched a Mediterranean diet, researchers say that 7 would die each year. This rose to 12 in 1,000 men who ate less healthily. The results for women were similar.The researchers say that about 5 in 1,000 women who eat a Mediterranean diet die each year, compared with 8 in 1,000 who have a more unhealthy diet.
Exercise also helped people live longer. Over five years, doing 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days reduced people's chance of dying by 27 percent. Moderate activity meant brisk walking, cycling, jogging, or a similar level of effort. Heavy housework or gardening counted, but everyday chores didn't.
Tell me more about the studies' findings
Although the researchers describe a healthy diet as Mediterranean-style, the people in the study weren't put on a special diet, and they weren't necessarily watching their weight. Researchers looked at what people usually ate and how much exercise they did from day to day. This gives us a realistic picture of how ordinary people's lifestyles affect their health.
The researchers used a points system to see if people ate a Mediterranean-style diet. Eating higher-than-average amounts of vegetables, fruit and nuts, pulses (such as peas, beans or lentils), grains, fish and healthy fats scored points, as did drinking a moderate amount of alcohol. Eating less meat and dairy products meant extra points. People with fewer points were more likely to die during the study.
The researchers looked at people who did 30 minutes of exercise most days because that's the official advice in the US. They found that also doing some more vigorous exercise had added benefits.
Where do the studies come from?
Both studies were done by researchers from the National Cancer Institute in the US. They appeared in a medical journal called Archives of Internal Medicine, which is published by the American Medical Association.
How reliable are the findings?
The main problem with using health questionnaires is that people don't always fill them in accurately. People may exaggerate the amount of exercise they do, or not remember how often they eat certain foods. This can affect the results.
Another problem with studies like this is that people who eat healthily and exercise may be more health-conscious in general. They may be less likely to smoke, for example. But in this study, the researchers looked at smokers and nonsmokers separately, and still found similar benefits from exercise and a healthy diet. This means we can be more confident of the results.
What does this mean for me?
We all know about the health benefits of a balanced diet and exercise, but making changes to our lives is often difficult. This study shows that whatever steps we can manage will probably have a beneficial effect.
For example, doing some vigorous exercise meant a big benefit for people who spent the rest of their time watching TV. And people whose diets were slightly better saw health benefits, as well as the people who ate a very healthy, Mediterranean-style diet. So any changes you can fit in to your routine are probably worth making.
What should I do now?
These studies show that a healthier lifestyle needn't be complicated. Small steps can make a difference. However, if you're overweight, or have health problems such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, you may need to make bigger changes to your life. Your doctor will be able to offer you advice.
From:
Mitrou PN, Kipnis V, Thiebaut ACM, et al. Mediterranean dietary pattern and prediction of all-cause mortality in a US population. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2007; 167: 2461-2468.
Leitzmann MF, Park Y, Blair A, et al. Physical activity recommendations and decreased risk of mortality. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2007; 167: 2453-2460.
News Archive
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
