MILAN – It is no news that the Mediterranean diet is good for your health. Its proper mix of vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates and proteins makes it a healthy and balanced diet recommended for any age.
Its benefits on a cardiac level are well-known all over the world, but now some researchers from the University of Exeter, as the BBC reported, have made an important discovery on a genetic level: the Mediterranean diet slows down ageing of the DNA.
The study
For about 10 years, the researchers led by Dr David Llewelly monitored the health of about 5,000 people, concluding that those who follow the famous Mediterranean diet help their DNA to stay young and healthy.
The discovery came by observing the telomeres, in other words the "protective caps" of the DNA, the shortening of which is correlated with cellular ageing and a broad range of age-related diseases. In fact, the study found that those who follow the Mediterranean diet maintain longer and healthier telomeres, slowing the genetic ageing of the chromosomes and protecting the DNA from various diseases.
Water at the base of the Mediterranean diet
Laura Rossi, an expert at the Research Centre for Foods and Nutrition (CREA), explained that the topic of hydration has earned a prominent place over the years within the food pyramids developed at every level.
These days, at the base of every graphic representation is water as the essential element for a proper dietary style. Water has always been treated as an essential food in RDAs, in other words, the recommended daily energy and nutritional intake. From 2003, the information found in the RDAs has been translated into a specific guideline with practical tips for the public on how to maintain good hydration.
by Alessandro Conte
March 26, 2018
credits: fotolia
