Mediterranean‑style diets cut heart disease risk and boost healthy aging, studies show

A large U.S. cohort study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tracked more than 12,000 adults with diabetes or cardiovascular risk factors for two decades. Compared with low‑fat eating patterns, participants who followed the Mediterranean diet experienced a more than 20% reduction in major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. The benefit was linked to the diet’s emphasis on olive oil, nuts, fatty fish, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

Separate research led by scientists at the University of Southern California, the University of Toronto and Harvard examined a “longevity diet” that adapts the Mediterranean pattern by limiting overall protein but supplementing the essential amino acid methionine. In a mouse model, the diet lowered fat mass, reduced frailty markers and extended healthy lifespan, even though the animals consumed more calories. The findings suggest that specific amino‑acid composition, rather than total protein intake, may be a key lever for metabolic health and could be tested in future human trials.