Eating a Mediterranean diet can add years to your life, study reveals

EATING a Mediterranean diet extends life by years, a groundbreaking 20-year study has confirmed.

People who consume mostly fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and olive oil were less likely to die.

They suffer less cardiovascular disease, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, say experts.

It follows analysis of  blood and urine samples from volunteers aged over 65  for up to 20 years in Chianti, Italy.

“Biomarkers” in the food indicated the diet of each person in the study, the first to analyse specific chemicals in wee.

A team also studied certain nutrients, fatty acids and fats in blood.

 Prof Cristina Andres-Lacueva, of Barcelona University, said a typical Mediterranean diet — long linked  with good health and fit hearts — was associated with protection from all causes of death.

Their co-author Dr Tomas Merono said "

"It confirms that an adherence to the Mediterranean diet assessed by a panel of dietary biomarkers is inversely associated with the long-term mortality in older adults.

"It supports the use of these biomarkers in monitoring evaluations to study the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet."