“This study shows that it is possible that non-Mediterranean populations may adopt a Mediterranean diet by using locally available products and adopting a general Mediterranean lifestyle within their own cultural context,” said lead author Mercedes Sotos Prieto, a Ramón y Cajal researcher. . Autonomous University of Madrid and assistant professor of environmental health at Harvard Chan School. “We see the transferrability of lifestyles and the positive impact they can have on health,” he added.

The researchers analyzed the habits of 110,799 members of the UK Biobank cohort, a population-based study in England, Wales and Scotland using the Mediterranean Lifestyle Index (MEDLIFE), derived from a lifestyle questionnaire and dietary assessment.

The participants, aged between 40 and 75 years, provided information about their lifestyle based on three categories as measured by the index: “Consumption of Mediterranean foods” (intake of foods that are part of the Mediterranean Diet such as fruits and grains); “Mediterranean dietary habits” (adherence to eating habits and practices, including limiting salt and consuming healthy drinks); and “physical activity, rest, and social and coexisting habits” (adherence to lifestyle habits that include taking regular naps, exercising, and spending time with friends).

The researchers followed up nine years later to check the participants’ health outcomes. Among the study population, 4,247 people died from various causes; 2,401 for cancer; and 731 for cardiovascular disease.

Analyzing these results together with the MEDLIFE score, the researchers observed an inverse relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle and risk of death. Participants with higher MEDLIFE scores were found to have a 29% lower risk of all-cause death and a 28% lower risk of death from cancer compared to those with lower MEDLIFE scores. Adherence to each MEDLIFE category was independently associated with a lower risk of cancer and all causes of death.