This diet protects you from aging
This diet protects you from aging
An analysis of research shows that as older people follow food systems inspired by the systems of the Mediterranean countries, the likelihood of their attenuation declines over time.
The study team analyzed data on nearly 6,000 older people who participated in four studies, three of which were conducted in Mediterranean countries and one in Asia.
"Growing numbers of people live in the world until the 1980s and beyond, and there is great interest in knowing how to keep people healthy and independent with age," lead author Kate Walsers told Reuters Health in an e-mail.
"Some people who have accumulated health problems with age may become debilitated, making them feel symptoms such as lack of energy, muscle weakness, decreased appetite, weight loss and the general feeling that they are slower and have difficulty recovering after the disease," said Walters, a researcher at London University College.
"This is linked to the chances of hospital admission or reliance on the care of others," she said. "We have studied ways to prevent this, including diet and exercise."
"There is a lot of research on the types of exercise (which she says is helpful to you) but there is much less research about the role of the diet and its different types, such as the Mediterranean diet," she said.
The Mediterranean diet depends on traditional food patterns in Greece and southern Italy, including plant-based foods such as vegetables, legumes and nuts, as well as fish and seafood, Walters and her colleagues wrote in the Journal of the American Society of Gerontology. The main source of fat in this system is olive oil instead of animal fat.
The study re-analyzed data from studies previously published in China, France, Italy and Spain. These studies recorded the participants' diets according to their adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean food systems.
Walters said participants in the studies were in their 70s and 80s on average, suggesting that older people's adherence to these diets may be beneficial in maintaining health and self-reliance.
But Michael Bogajsky of the Department of Medicine (Aging) of the Montefiore Health Hospital in New York, who did not participate in the study, said other factors may be the cause of differences among participants in studies in terms of risk of attenuation, factors associated with the person who follows Diet rather than the system itself.
"For example, olive oil, fish, nuts, fruits and fresh vegetables can be expensive, and people who can afford to buy these foods may also be able to get better health care," he said.
"They may also be more educated or aware of health aspects and are therefore more likely to eat more and exercise more exercise, which may reduce the risk of becoming frail.
But he added that the findings were "interesting" and that there was strong evidence to support Mediterranean food systems to avoid cardiovascular disease.This diet protects you from aging
An analysis of research shows that as older people follow food systems inspired by the systems of the Mediterranean countries, the likelihood of their attenuation declines over time.
The study team analyzed data on nearly 6,000 older people who participated in four studies, three of which were conducted in Mediterranean countries and one in Asia.
"Growing numbers of people live in the world until the 1980s and beyond, and there is great interest in knowing how to keep people healthy and independent with age," lead author Kate Walsers told Reuters Health in an e-mail.
"Some people who have accumulated health problems with age may become debilitated, making them feel symptoms such as lack of energy, muscle weakness, decreased appetite, weight loss and the general feeling that they are slower and have difficulty recovering after the disease," said Walters, a researcher at London University College.
"This is linked to the chances of hospital admission or reliance on the care of others," she said. "We have studied ways to prevent this, including diet and exercise."
"There is a lot of research on the types of exercise (which she says is helpful to you) but there is much less research about the role of the diet and its different types, such as the Mediterranean diet," she said.
The Mediterranean diet depends on traditional food patterns in Greece and southern Italy, including plant-based foods such as vegetables, legumes and nuts, as well as fish and seafood, Walters and her colleagues wrote in the Journal of the American Society of Gerontology. The main source of fat in this system is olive oil instead of animal fat.
The study re-analyzed data from studies previously published in China, France, Italy and Spain. These studies recorded the participants' diets according to their adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean food systems.
Walters said participants in the studies were in their 70s and 80s on average, suggesting that older people's adherence to these diets may be beneficial in maintaining health and self-reliance.
But Michael Bogajsky of the Department of Medicine (Aging) of the Montefiore Health Hospital in New York, who did not participate in the study, said other factors may be the cause of differences among participants in studies in terms of risk of attenuation, factors associated with the person who follows Diet rather than the system itself.
"For example, olive oil, fish, nuts, fruits and fresh vegetables can be expensive, and people who can afford to buy these foods may also be able to get better health care," he said.
"They may also be more educated or aware of health aspects and are therefore more likely to eat more and exercise more exercise, which may reduce the risk of becoming frail.
But he added that the findings were "interesting" and that there was strong evidence to support Mediterranean food systems to avoid cardiovascular disease.This diet protects you from aging
An analysis of research shows that as older people follow food systems inspired by the systems of the Mediterranean countries, the likelihood of their attenuation declines over time.
The study team analyzed data on nearly 6,000 older people who participated in four studies, three of which were conducted in Mediterranean countries and one in Asia.
"Growing numbers of people live in the world until the 1980s and beyond, and there is great interest in knowing how to keep people healthy and independent with age," lead author Kate Walsers told Reuters Health in an e-mail.
"Some people who have accumulated health problems with age may become debilitated, making them feel symptoms such as lack of energy, muscle weakness, decreased appetite, weight loss and the general feeling that they are slower and have difficulty recovering after the disease," said Walters, a researcher at London University College.
"This is linked to the chances of hospital admission or reliance on the care of others," she said. "We have studied ways to prevent this, including diet and exercise."
"There is a lot of research on the types of exercise (which she says is helpful to you) but there is much less research about the role of the diet and its different types, such as the Mediterranean diet," she said.
The Mediterranean diet depends on traditional food patterns in Greece and southern Italy, including plant-based foods such as vegetables, legumes and nuts, as well as fish and seafood, Walters and her colleagues wrote in the Journal of the American Society of Gerontology. The main source of fat in this system is olive oil instead of animal fat.
The study re-analyzed data from studies previously published in China, France, Italy and Spain. These studies recorded the participants' diets according to their adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean food systems.
Walters said participants in the studies were in their 70s and 80s on average, suggesting that older people's adherence to these diets may be beneficial in maintaining health and self-reliance.
But Michael Bogajsky of the Department of Medicine (Aging) of the Montefiore Health Hospital in New York, who did not participate in the study, said other factors may be the cause of differences among participants in studies in terms of risk of attenuation, factors associated with the person who follows Diet rather than the system itself.
"For example, olive oil, fish, nuts, fruits and fresh vegetables can be expensive, and people who can afford to buy these foods may also be able to get better health care," he said.
"They may also be more educated or aware of health aspects and are therefore more likely to eat more and exercise more exercise, which may reduce the risk of becoming frail.
But he added that the findings were "interesting" and that there was strong evidence to support Mediterranean food systems to avoid cardiovascular disease.