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Mediterranean diet ‘extends life’

One examined the benefits of the diet on people in Denmark, one on people in
the north of Sweden and one on children.

Mr Tognon, a native Italian, said: “The conclusion we can draw from these
studies is that there is no doubt that a Mediterranean diet is linked to
better health, not only for the elderly but also for youngsters.”

According to Unesco, the Mediterranean diet is based on staples like fish,
vegetables, nuts and fruit, but also includes a structure of tradition where
knowledge is passed between generations and through communities.

Since the 1950s scientists have studied the diet typical of countries like
Italy and Greece after noticing that people in southern European countries
enjoyed various health benefits over their northern counterparts.

Earlier this year a review of 50 existing studies, which examined a total of
500,000 people, found that people following the diet were less likely to
develop health problems which can cause heart disease such as obesity,
diabetes and high blood pressure.

The benefits of the diet lay in the “antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
effects” of the food, researchers said.

Previous studies have also claimed that the Mediterranean food can protect
against cancer and dementia.

The latest research, however, appears to contradict a paper which claimed two
years ago that a traditional Nordic diet was just as healthy as a
Mediterranean one.

Eating a diet rich in rapeseed oil, cowberries and elk meat was held by
Copenhagen University scientists in Denmark to be just as beneficial as
consuming more olive oil, citrus fruit and vegetables.

The researchers were so confident in the benefits of their native diet that
they established a £12 million project to seek out and test local products
which could be incorporated into an approved “New Nordic Diet”.

Professor Arne Astrup, the project leader, said at the time: “The plan is to
develop a counterpart to the Mediterranean diet that is superior in terms of
health effects and palatability.”

Diet and Weight loss with Bill & Sheila

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