For many years, doctors have recommended the Mediterranean diet as a way to stay healthy.
This diet includes foods like olive oil, fish, vegetables, fruits, and beans, while limiting processed foods and sugar. People who follow this eating style often have lower risks of heart disease and memory loss, and they tend to live longer.
But one big question has remained: how exactly does this diet protect the body?
A new study from the University of Southern California (USC) Leonard Davis School of Gerontology offers a surprising answer. The researchers found that the diet may influence very small proteins inside our cells that help control aging and disease. Their findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
These proteins, called humanin and SHMOOSE, are found in mitochondria. Mitochondria are small structures inside cells that produce energy. They are essential for keeping cells alive and functioning properly. Scientists are now learning that mitochondria also play an important role in aging and disease.
In the study, researchers examined blood samples from older adults. They compared people who closely followed the Mediterranean diet with those who did not. The results showed that those who followed the diet had higher levels of these helpful microproteins.
Higher levels of humanin and SHMOOSE were linked to better health. In particular, they were associated with lower levels of oxidative stress. This is important because oxidative stress can damage cells and contribute to diseases such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers also found that certain foods may be especially important. Olive oil, fish, and legumes were linked to higher levels of humanin. Eating fewer refined carbohydrates was linked to higher levels of SHMOOSE. This suggests that specific food choices within the diet may directly affect how the body works.
Another key finding involved heart health. The study showed that higher levels of humanin were linked to lower activity of a harmful enzyme that produces damaging molecules. This may help explain why the Mediterranean diet is known to protect the heart.
These findings add to growing evidence that diet affects health at a very deep level. Instead of only changing weight or cholesterol, food may influence tiny processes inside cells.
However, it is important to be cautious. The study does not prove that the diet directly causes these changes. It only shows a connection. The number of participants was also limited, so larger studies are needed.
In analysing the results, it is clear that this research is an important step forward. It gives scientists a new way to understand how diet and aging are connected. At the same time, it highlights the need for more research to confirm these effects and explore how they can be used in treatment.
Even with these limits, the study supports a simple message. Eating a balanced diet with natural, unprocessed foods can support long-term health. The Mediterranean diet remains one of the best examples of this approach.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about the harm of vitamin D deficiency you need to know, and does eating potatoes increase your blood pressure?
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