In a new study from the University of Barcelona, researchers found eating a Mediterranean diet for a long time is associated with a lower death risk in adults over 65.
The study is based on the InCHIANTI project, conducted in the region of Italian Tuscany, a study that has been carried out for 20 years in a total of 642 participants aged over 65 or more.
The team developed an index of dietary biomarkers based on food groups that are part of the Mediterranean diet, and we assess their association with mortality.
In the study, researchers chose the reference levels of the following dietary biomarkers in the urine: total polyphenols and resveratrol metabolites (from grape intake) and presents in plasma, plasma carotenoids, selenium, vitamin B12, fatty acids and their proportion of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids.
During the 20 years of monitoring, there were 425 deaths (139 due to heart diseases and 89 due to cancer-related causes).
The team found the score of the Mediterranean diet using the biomarkers was inversely associated with all causes of death.
This study highlights the use of dietary biomarkers to improve nutritional assessment and guide customized assessment for older people.
It confirms that adherence to the Mediterranean diet assessed by a panel of dietary biomarkers is inversely associated with long-term mortality in older adults.
This supports the use of these biomarkers in monitoring evaluations to study the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet.
If you care about diet, please read studies about vitamin B3 that could help treat vision loss, and diet that could lower risk of type 2 diabetes and help manage blood sugar.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about what you need to know vitamin D and COVID-19, and results showing that eating a plant-based diet at any age may lower heart disease risk.
The study is published in the journal BCM Medicine. One author of the study is Cristina Andrés-Lacueva.
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