Can Mediterranean Diet Lower Death Risk?

Sticking to a full Mediterranean diet provides protection against chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, according to a study published on BMJ.com, the site of the British Medical Journal.

A team of researchers from the University of Florence reviewed 12 international studies of more than 1.5 million people. They were tracked from three to 18 years.

The researchers found that people who stuck strictly to a Mediterranean diet had significant improvements in their health, including a 9 percent drop in overall mortality, a 9 percent drop in mortality from heart disease, a 13 percent reduction in incidence of Parkinson and Alzheimer's diseases and a 6 percent reduction in cancer.

The Mediterranean diet is rich in olive oil, grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables and fish, but low in meat, dairy products and alcohol.

All the studies examined the concept of using a numerical score to estimate how much people stuck to the diet. The researchers said this "adherence score" could be a tool to determine people's risk of death.

The findings confirm the current guidelines and recommendations from all major scientific institutions that encourage a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern for the prevention of major chronic diseases, they said in a news release.