Monday 13 November 2017

Can Mediterranean Foods Increase Your Longevity?

Ever since I have come across the book “A Book of Mediterranean Food” written by Elizabeth David, I have developed an interest in the Mediterranean diet. The book beautifully describes the diets followed by the people of the Mediterranean regions like Greece, Italy, and France.

The Mediterranean dishes are widely gaining popularity for not only their palatability but loads of health benefits too. Many popular restaurants are adapting these cuisines in their menus to offer a richer and fulfilling experience to their guests.

A group of researchers investigated an Italian village, Acciaroli in the Mediterranean region. It was found that one out of every ten residents of those villages is aged above hundred.

This reason for their longevity is none other than the fact that their meal consists of domestic rabbits, chicken, home-grown fruits, vegetables and olive oil.
Mediterranean Foods Increase Your Longevity


Loads of Anti-Oxidants

It is a well- known fact that peoples of the Mediterranean region live a longer and healthier. Their climate encourages the growth of fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants. These antioxidants fight free radicals that damage our cells, thus reducing inflammations that are linked to so many chronic diseases such as cancer.

Protects from Alcohol Side-Effects

Alcohol can be damaging to your health. The side effects of alcohol include simple hangover, indigestion to increased risk of throat, mouth and breast cancers.

Mediterranean people include alcohol in their diet and yet are known to live longer than others. It is believed that these diets lower the risk of cancer. Extra virgin oil, for instance, helps inhibit the carcinogenic effects of Oestrogens in women reducing the risk of breast cancer in the process.

Protects Telomere

According to a “Business Medical Journal”, researchers studied 4,676 women. It was found that the women under Mediterranean diets had their cell structure quite different from the ones solely based on dairy and red meat products. The people under Mediterranean diet were found to have a longer telomere. Telomeres are DNA parts located at the end of a chromosome. These telomeres are shrinking with each cell division, the shorter the size of the telomere, the lower is our life expectancy. Mediterranean diet protects our telomeres.

Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

What is even more astounding is that Mediterranean foods are known to reduce the risk of death from stroke and heart attack by 30 percent. A study in New England Journal of Medicine, these foods consist of a high percentage of polyphenols, a compound that serves a key part in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Good for Pregnancy

Pregnant women can greatly benefit from these diets. Brooke Schwartz, a popular nutritionist from the USA says that healthy eating helps in the fertility and weight loss for women looking forward to conceiving. It influences the well-being of the baby and prevents any complication in times of pregnancy.

Therefore, if you want my opinion, stop munching on those fast, frozen and packaged foods and start choosing avocados, nuts, figs, and dates instead.

Contact a good Mediterranean food seller today! Pick olive oils and seed oils for cooking to make your life healthier! Your body will thank you with an improved physique in the long run!



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