Mediterranean diet slows down telomere shortening
Scientists have explained the high life expectancy with the Mediterranean diet
American doctors have linked following the Mediterranean diet with the length of telomeres and, consequently, with a high life expectancy. The authors reported this in their article published in the British Medical Journal (Crous-Bou et al., Mediterranean diet and telomere length in Nurses’ Health Study: population based cohort study, in open access – VM).
The diet leads, according to scientists, to a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular diseases and a slowdown in the reduction of telomere sizes.
Telomeres are the end sections of chromosomes that are thought to perform a protective function in chromosomes. Starting from infancy, the telomere size is gradually reduced: on average, up to two times by adulthood and up to four times by the elderly. According to some scientists, this is one of the causes of aging of the human body.
Accelerates the reduction of telomeres unhealthy lifestyle, stress and poor nutrition. So, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity and excessive consumption of carbohydrates (sweet and flour) they contribute to the development of oxidative processes and, as a result, the reduction of telomeres.
The components of the Mediterranean diet, on the contrary, contain natural antioxidants (antioxidants) and have an anti-inflammatory effect, which slows down the reduction of telomeres.
In their work, the specialists used data from American physicians from Harvard Medical School, who analyzed 4,676 healthy middle-aged women as part of the Health Study Nurses program (in total, more than one hundred thousand women participated in the study). The subjects had a significant correlation between high telomere length and dietary preferences.
Researchers report that it is especially important to follow the entire diet as a whole, and not just the use of individual components from it.
"According to our data, we conducted the largest population–based study showing the relationship between telomere size in healthy middle-aged women and the size of their telomeres," the researchers report (in a press release from Harvard University, the Mediterranean diet has marked impact on aging – VM).
"Our results confidently demonstrate the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for promoting health and longevity," they conclude.
The Mediterranean diet involves a high intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes (peas, beans and lentils), unrefined olive oil and fish. Such a diet does not provide for a large consumption of products containing saturated fats, in particular, dairy products, meat and poultry. Moderate wine consumption is also often included in the Mediterranean diet.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru03.12.2014