Five Diets Linked to Longevity
A new review identified five major dietary patterns linked to increased longevity: Mediterranean, DASH, pescatarian, plant-forward, and MIND diets. All were correlated with lower mortality and better health outcomes. The research emphasizes that diverse, whole-food-focused eating habits rather than rigid restriction are associated with the best odds of a long, healthy life.
- The MIND diet, short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets developed by researchers at Rush University in 2015 to specifically target brain health. One study found that participants with the highest adherence to the MIND diet had a 53% lower rate of Alzheimer's disease. - "DASH" stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; the diet was developed in the 1990s by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. In clinical trials, it significantly reduced participants' blood pressure within just two weeks. - The concept of the Mediterranean diet was first introduced by American biologist Ancel Keys in 1975, based on the eating habits of people in Greece and Southern Italy during the 1950s and 1960s. - A "plant-forward" approach emphasizes making plant-based foods the focus of a meal, but does not require the elimination of animal products like meat and dairy. This style of eating is influenced by long-standing dietary patterns, such as traditional Mediterranean and Asian heritage diets. - The term "pescatarian" was coined in the 1990s, combining the Italian word for fish, "pesce," with "vegetarian," to describe a diet that excludes meat but includes fish and seafood. - Research into the Mediterranean diet's benefits includes the PREDIMED trial, a large randomized controlled trial which found that the diet, supplemented with either extra virgin olive oil or nuts, was associated with a 30% reduction in major cardiovascular events compared to a low-fat diet. - A 2022 study found that individuals following a pescatarian diet had a lower overall risk of cancer compared to meat-eaters, with a notable reduction in the risk of colorectal cancers.
