Macro partitioning
Adherence to a Mediterranean diet score is associated with a statistically significant reduction in all-cause mortality, driven primarily by moderate ethanol consumption, low meat intake, and high consumption of plant foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes) and olive oil.
Adhere to a Mediterranean dietary pattern emphasizing moderate alcohol (if consumed, with meals), low meat, and high intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and olive oil. This pattern is associated with a 14% lower risk of death compared to low adherence. Do not rely on fish, cereals, or dairy as primary drivers of these benefits in this context.
higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a statistically significant reduction in total mortality (adjusted mortality ratio per two unit increase in score 0.864, 95% confidence interval 0.802 to 0.932). The contributions of the individual components of the Mediterranean diet to this association were moderate ethanol consumption 23.5%, low consumption of meat and meat products 16.6%, high vegetable consumption 16.2%, high fruit and nut consumption 11.2%, high monounsaturated to saturated lipid ratio 10.6%, and high legume consumption 9.7%.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort (n=23,349), long follow-up (8.5 years), but observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Anatomy of health effects of Mediterranean diet: Greek EPIC prospective cohort study
A. Trichopoulou et al. · BMJ · 2009
DOI 10.1136/bmj.b2337
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