Skip to main content

Mediterranean Diet and Living Well Longer

Dr. Wayne Coghlan, B.Sc., M.A., D.C. Ontario Chiropractor / Counselling Psychology, anger management www.drwaynecoghlan.com drwaynecoghlan@gmail.com


Mediterranean diet has marked impact on aging

First study to link women, Mediterranean diet, and biomarkers of aging.


The Mediterranean diet consistently has been linked with an array of health benefits, including decreased risk of chronic disease and cancer. Until now, however, no studies had associated the diet with longer telomeres, one of the biomarkers of aging.

In a study published Tuesday online in The BMJ, researchers at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) found that greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet correlated with longer telomeres.

Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes that get shorter every time a cell divides. Shorter telomeres have been associated with decreased life expectancy and increased risk of aging-related disease, while longer telomeres have been linked to longevity. Telomere shortening is accelerated by stress and inflammation, and scientists have speculated that adherence to the Mediterranean diet may help protect against that effect.

“To our knowledge this is the largest population-based study specifically addressing the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and telomere length in healthy, middle-aged women,” explained Immaculata De Vivo, an associate professor in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at BWH and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the senior author of this study. “Our results further support the benefits of adherence to this diet to promote health and longevity.”

The researchers analyzed 4,676 disease-free women from the Nurses’ Health Study who had completed the food-frequency questionnaire and whose telomere lengths had been measured. They found that a greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with longer telomeres, and that even small changes in diet made a difference.

“Our findings showed that healthy eating, overall, was associated with longer telomeres. However, the strongest association was observed among women who adhered to the Mediterranean diet,” explained Marta Crous Bou, a postdoctoral fellow in the Channing Division of Network Medicine and the first author of the study.

De Vivo notes that future research should be aimed at determining which components of the Mediterranean diet drive this association. This would allow researchers to gain insight into the biological mechanism, as well as provide a basis for increased public education for informed lifestyle choices.


Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
Have a question? Connect with me at www.drwaynecoghlan.com

And for a more detailed description of the Mediterranean Diet - Check out this Link!.

 Link to original source article.  



Popular posts from this blog

Aching Back No More - Straw Bale Gardening!

In this post, I’ll discuss two things I enjoy very much: helping you become and stay healthier through chiropractic, and gardening. More specifically, let me introduce you to STRAW BALE GARDENING.   Who should plant a Straw Bale Garden?   Can't do heavy lifting?   If you are less capable or less interested in doing the heavy work of traditional gardening, such as tilling the soil, constant weeding, unending insect battles and persistent disease spraying, Straw Bale Gardening virtually eliminates these challenges. Can't bend over?   If you have a physical limitation or handicap that restricts you from getting down on the ground, you will appreciate the easier access to the higher surface of a straw bale, which eliminates the bending to plant and harvest.  Poor soil or limited space?   If your have a low soil quality, or if you have limited space that you can devote to a garden, you will love Straw Bale Gardening with its low cost, flexibility in garden pla

Miracle Mediterranean Diet

Olive Oil, Fresh Vegetables, and Wine are part of the Mediterranean Diet. People who have scanned my blog will appreciate that I promote doing the basic things well, and most of the other problems we have tend to diminish. I do promote a diet with more fruit, vegetable, whole grains, and less meat, dairy, and egg. Alcohol, if at all, in moderation.  How much more fruit, veggies and grains? More than you are eating now. How much less meat, dairy, and egg? Less than you are eating now. No drastic changes.. just whatever you are doing…keep tweaking and you’ll get it right. Here is a well written article that gives some more information how the simple things are often the best. Dr. Wayne Coghlan. drwaynecoghlan.blogspot.ca Get ’em to the Greek (diet) LESLIE BECK , Globe and Mail, Mar. 22, 2011 It’s arguably the healthiest diet in the world. The Mediterranean diet – which emphasizes fruit and vegetables, grains, nuts and olive oil – is recognized as the gol

Is good posture worth a year’s supply of prozac?

Posture vs: Prozac In this article, I am comparing the effects of improved posture on relieving a mild to moderately depressed mood, a condition that may otherwise be medically managed by pharmaceuticals such as Prozac. This is for reader's information and not intended as a guide to treatment.   Respectfully submitted for your evaluation. As you are sitting now at your computer station, allow yourself to slump in your chair… if you aren’t already. Computer Posture Give it a minute or so to give it time to sink in. Answer a few more emails if you wish. As you are now sitting slumped, take notice of how you feel in your chest….try taking a deep breath. You will likely be feeling constricted and the deep breath will be less than satisfying. Notice the feeling in your shoulders, the heaviness in your arms.. .. perhaps tension or fatigue in the back of your neck.... that load in your neck and shoulders get transferred to the lower back and add

Dr. Wayne Coghlan: Chiropractor - locum tenens

Wayne Coghlan, B.Sc., M.A., D.C. Ontario Chiropractor  locum tenens www.drwaynecoghlan.weebly.com drwaynecoghlan@gmail.com 705 447-7003 Wayne Coghlan:   Chiropractor    -   Available for locums Doctor of Chiropractic Residing in Mississauga, Ontario.  Available to serve the chiropractic profession as  chiropractor locum tenens 30 years clinical experience, sole practitioner, Collingwood Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic, Collingwood, Ontario. Sole practitioner Diversified, sports injuries and rehabilitation, soft tissue therapy, custom foot orthotics, injury prevention, posture correction, lifestyle modification and coach, ultrasound, interferential, combine MSK with nerve pressure model, low intensity laser, x-rays, shockwave therapy, WSIB, MVA, PMP, Universal.  Registered and in good standing with CCO OCA CCA CCPA Available to travel throughout Ontario. Locations outside of an hour or so radius may require accommodations....let's talk

Sleep Better

Sleep Better Sleep Better - Some suggestions We all have times when adequate sleep seems to elude us.   For the most part, these episodes are a short lived part of the normal cycles of life. * Persistent lack of sleep - beyond several weeks at a time - produces fatigue, depression, confusion, impaired short-term memory, concentration and alertness. Long term lack of sleep impairs your ability to fight off disease and repair tissue. Effects of chronic sleep deprivation Your proper sleep pattern is what works for you. There are documented cases of people who get by very well with only a few hours of sleep yet others who feel their best with ten! People in many tropical countries find it very necessary to enjoy their mid-day ciesta. If you are reasonably well rested through your day and able to function well, lack of sleep is not necessarily your problem. Your habits - both what you think and do - can cause many chronic sleep problems.   Sleep problems

Low Back Pain: How it begins and progresses.

Dear Gentle Reader: The following is a thorough discussion of low back and originates from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Accessed from:   http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm It is not my intention to plagiarize this work, but rather than re-invent the wheel, so to speak, I have provided the majority of the article and added my own comments along the way. If you have lower back pain, you are not alone. Nearly everyone at some point has back pain that interferes with work, routine daily activities, or recreation. Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low back pain, the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work. Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States — only headache is more common. Fortunately, most occurrences of low back pain go away within a few days. Others take much longer to resolve or lead to more serious conditi

An investment that pays you now, and in the years to come.

Health Investment: Pays you now... and in the years to come. New house in good shape It takes very little investment in dollars and effort to move into a new house ...and let it fall apart. Ignore the loose shingles, and water gets into the walls and footings. Ignore the moisture on the window sills and eventually , the windows rot out. Neglect the crack in the foundation wall and the frame starts to shift. Without any effort, bit by bit, the house deteriorates until it is no longer fit to live in. Derilect house In the same way, it takes very little investment and effort to neglect your health. Every time you overdo the body becomes distorted. Every time you underdo , the body weakens. Bit by bit, you deteriorate until your body is no longer fit to live in. The trouble is, you are stuck in it. With the house you live in, fixing little problems and keeping the place in order does take the investment of some time, and effort, and yes....money. Yet, the house stays c

Lumber Disc Injury, Herniated Disc, Bulging Disc, Low Back Pain, Sciatica, Spinal Traction Therapy

Lumber Disc Injury, Herniated Disc, Bulging Disc, Low Back Pain, Sciatica, Spinal Traction Therapy Lumbar disc injuries range from strained tissue, to a bulging disc, to complete herniation.    The pain and disability is usually proportional to the degree of injury and complications, especially if a bulging or herniated disc is pressing on a nerve.  At times, a disc can herniate with minimal pain or disability. It is usually the tissues around the disc that cause the most pain. Similarly, there can be much pain with even a relatively minor disc injury.   A lumbar disc injury, as with a broken ankle or sprained knee, needs to be respected lest it becomes a chronic if not permanent disability. The problem is because we can't actually see the injured tissue and many people just try to tough their way through the injury ... or fail to recognize what they are doing to aggravate it.... and make it worse. An indication that a disc is pressing on a nerve is typically pain radia