In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleHow Was This Study Conducted and What Did They Find?How Does This Apply to Real Life?
In This ArticleView All
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In This Article
How Was This Study Conducted and What Did They Find?
How Does This Apply to Real Life?
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Photo:alvarez/Getty Images
alvarez/Getty Images
This study included 25,315 American women from the Women’s Health Study cohort, with an average age of 55 at the start of the study who were healthy at baseline. Race and ethnicity of participants included Black, Asian, Hispanic, White and other races and ethnicities. Participants were followed for 25 years.
At the beginning of the study, baseline data was collected, including the typical demographics—age, BMI, location, income, education, etc.—plus health behaviors, like physical activity and smoking history, and menopause status and hormone use for the treatment of menopause.
Each participant completed a food-frequency questionnaire that included 131 questions. They then received a Mediterranean diet score based on their answers regarding regular consumption of nine dietary components. Participants received one point each for a higher-than-average intake of the following food groups: vegetables (excluding potatoes), fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes and fish, and a healthy ratio of monounsaturated-to-saturated fatty acids. They also received one point for having a less-than-average intake of red and processed meats, and another point if their alcohol intake fell within the range of 5 to 15 grams/day—which corresponds to about one 5-ounce glass of wine, 12 ounces of regular beer or 1.5 ounces of liquor per day.
From their scores, participants were then categorized into three levels based on their adherence to the Mediterranean diet: low adherence (scores of 0-3), intermediate adherence (scores of 4-5) and high adherence (scores of 6-9).
Additionally, participants completed health questionnaires six months apart for the first year and then annually. They also provided blood samples. Blood tests included HbA1c, lipids and inflammatory markers. Tests to further break down cholesterol particle size were also performed (there is evidence that smaller LDL particles increase the risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome, per a 2024 study inDiabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity.
Medical records, death certificates and causes of death were tracked for 25 years. Over that time, 3,879 deaths occurred, including 935 from heart disease and 1,531 from cancer.
Several statistical analyses were initially run and then run again after adjusting for certain factors, including age at baseline, postmenopausal status and use of hormones, physical activity and smoking.
The researchers found that, compared to women with Mediterranean diet adherence scores of 3 or less, women with scores of 6 or more had a 23% lower risk of dying prematurely from any cause. The results also suggested that certain cardiometabolic risk factors may account for the risk reduction, particularly biomarkers related to favorable metabolism and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, as well as lower inflammation, insulin resistance and BMI.
This study adds to the mounting evidence that including more foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, seafood and healthy fats—and less processed and red meat—is advantageous for your health.
It also suggests thatinflammationand metabolism—in particular, small molecule metabolites—played the most significant role in reducing the risk of premature death. According to a 2023 review inSignal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, there’s a connection between small molecule metabolites and how well our bodies function at the cellular level. Small molecule metabolites are part of the process of metabolism, which involves chemical processes that take place in the cells to produce energy and other basic materials needed for our bodies to work properly, per the National Library of Medicine’s resource StatPearls. Metabolic processes that aren’t working properly can lead to disease onset and progression.
There’s a lot of debate over whether you can improve your metabolism, per the National Library of Medicine’s resource MedlinePlus. And while some things—like adding muscle mass and drinking green tea—may bump your metabolism up some, it’s probably not enough to make a huge difference (although more research needs to be done).
This means you need to focus on what you have more control over—like your diet and physical activity—whichwe know can lower inflammationand reduce the risk of chronic disease.
The study authors note that the women who scored 6 or higher on the Mediterranean diet also tended to have generally healthier lifestyles, including a lower BMI. While it wasn’t mentioned specifically in the study, one could assume that a “generally healthier lifestyle” means they probably also participated in regular physical activity, got plenty of quality sleep and managed their stress.Each of these factors can reduce inflammation, and in turn, reduce disease risk.
The Bottom Line
This study suggests that women who ate morefoods that are included in the Mediterranean diethad a 23% lower risk of dying prematurely. They also had overall healthier lifestyles. Including more nutrient-dense foods that provide your body with what it needs to run efficiently and reduce inflammation will go a long way toward reducing your risk of dying early. And moving your body more, getting plenty of quality sleep and addressing your stressors will add to that protection.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Ahmad S, Moorthy MV, Lee I, et al.Mediterranean diet adherence and risk of all-cause mortality in women.JAMA Open Network. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14322Zhu X, Chen Y, Zhu M, Hu J.The relationship between small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and metabolic syndrome.Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity. 2024. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S450783Qiu S, Cai Y, Yao H, et al.Small molecule metabolites: discovery of biomarkers and therapeutic targets.Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2023. doi:10.1038/s41392-023-01399-3National Library of Medicine. StatPearls.Physiology, metabolism.National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Can you boost your metabolism?
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Ahmad S, Moorthy MV, Lee I, et al.Mediterranean diet adherence and risk of all-cause mortality in women.JAMA Open Network. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14322Zhu X, Chen Y, Zhu M, Hu J.The relationship between small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and metabolic syndrome.Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity. 2024. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S450783Qiu S, Cai Y, Yao H, et al.Small molecule metabolites: discovery of biomarkers and therapeutic targets.Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2023. doi:10.1038/s41392-023-01399-3National Library of Medicine. StatPearls.Physiology, metabolism.National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Can you boost your metabolism?
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Ahmad S, Moorthy MV, Lee I, et al.Mediterranean diet adherence and risk of all-cause mortality in women.JAMA Open Network. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14322Zhu X, Chen Y, Zhu M, Hu J.The relationship between small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and metabolic syndrome.Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity. 2024. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S450783Qiu S, Cai Y, Yao H, et al.Small molecule metabolites: discovery of biomarkers and therapeutic targets.Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2023. doi:10.1038/s41392-023-01399-3National Library of Medicine. StatPearls.Physiology, metabolism.National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Can you boost your metabolism?
Ahmad S, Moorthy MV, Lee I, et al.Mediterranean diet adherence and risk of all-cause mortality in women.JAMA Open Network. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14322
Zhu X, Chen Y, Zhu M, Hu J.The relationship between small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and metabolic syndrome.Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity. 2024. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S450783
Qiu S, Cai Y, Yao H, et al.Small molecule metabolites: discovery of biomarkers and therapeutic targets.Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2023. doi:10.1038/s41392-023-01399-3
National Library of Medicine. StatPearls.Physiology, metabolism.
National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Can you boost your metabolism?
