Mediterranean diet helps boost mental, physical health

Want to improve your mental and physical health? Then, resort to the daily Mediterranean diet, researchers say.

A new study headed by a team from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Navarra in Spain found that the diet may be the key to long life as it reduces weight and cholesterol.

People on the Mediterranean diet, which is loaded with vegetables, fruits, fish, olive oil and nuts, scored higher on a quality of life questionnaire in terms of physical and mental wellbeing, the study found.

“The Mediterranean diet is an important factor associated with better quality of life and can be considered as a healthy food model,” said study researcher Patricia Henriquez Sanchez of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

“The progressive aging of the population in developed countries makes it even more interesting to find out those factors that can increase quality of life and the health of the population.” Sanchez was quoted as saying by LiveScience.

The research involved data on more than 11,000 university students over a period of four years. Dietary intake data was taken at the beginning of the study and self-perceived quality of life was measured after the four year monitoring period.

In order to ascertain whether the Mediterranean diet was followed, consumption of vegetables, pulses, fruit, nuts, cereals and fish was positively valued whereas consumption of meat, diary products and alcohol was negatively valued.

It was found that those who stuck to the Mediterranean diet more, scored higher on the quality of life questionnaire in terms of physical and mental well-being. The link was even stronger in terms of physical quality of life.

Explaining how the Mediterranean diet works, Henríquez said main meals should never lack three basic elements such as cereals, fruit and vegetables and dairy products. Furthermore, it must include a daily intake of 1.5 and 2 litres of water.

Olive oil, according to him, constitutes the main source of fat for its nutritional quality and moderate consumption of wine and other fermented beverages is recommended. Fish, lean meat and eggs are sources of high quality animal protein. Fish and seafood are also sources of healthy fats, Henriquez added.

He also suggested that sugar, sweets, cakes, pastries and sweetened beverages should be consumed occasionally and in small amounts.