A Mediterranean diet rich in nuts, oils and leafy greens reduces risk of early death in women by a quarter, study suggests
According to one study, following the Mediterranean diet can reduce a woman’s chance of early death by almost a quarter.
In the study of more than 700,000 women, the famous diet reduced a woman’s chance of dying from any cause by 23 percent. Australian researchers also noted similar declines in deaths from heart disease and stroke.
Rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, fish and olive oil – the diet has been praised in recent years for its brain-stimulating and heart-enhancing effects.
A study last week found that it may even reduce a person’s risk of dementia.
Researchers found that women who ate the Mediterranean diet — rich in fish, nuts and vegetables — were 23 percent less likely to die from any cause in a given year (file photo)
The Mediterranean diet has been described as a ‘gold standard’ by experts. Some have even declared it as a form of preventative medicine.
It appeared on the radar of American doctors in the 1950s, when reports of low rates of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s and heart disease emerged.
Further research revealed that the typical diets of people in the region played a role in their good health.
Since then, a growing body of research has confirmed the benefits of a diet rich in vegetables and healthy fats.
However, whether one sex may benefit more from the diet than the other has not been much studied.
For their study, published in the journal Heart, a team from the University of Sydney combined data from 16 studies published between 2003 and 2021.
The studies, mainly from the US and Europe, include data from hundreds of thousands of women aged 18 and over.
Their cardiovascular health was followed for an average of 12.5 years.
Sticking to a Mediterranean diet lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent, researchers found.
It also reduced the chance of death from any cause by 23 percent. The risk of coronary heart disease was 25 percent lower and they were less likely to have a stroke.
However, the reason why this diet is particularly beneficial for women is unknown.
The study’s author, Dr Sarah Zaman, of one of the study’s authors, said: ‘Mechanisms explaining the gender-specific effect of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular disease and death remain unclear.
Women-specific cardiovascular risk factors, including premature menopause, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, or female-predominant risk factors, such as systemic lupus, can all independently increase cardiovascular disease risk.
‘It is possible that preventive measures, such as a Mediterranean diet, targeting inflammation and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, have different effects in women than in men.’
Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for more than a third of all deaths in women worldwide.
However, many clinical trials and studies include relatively few women and do not often report results by gender.
Current guidelines on how best to reduce cardiovascular disease also make no distinction by gender.
This latest study calls for more gender-specific research to guide clinical practice in heart health.