Adopting a Mediterranean diet could reduce women’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 24%, according to a new study published in the journal Heart, as reported by dpa.
The Mediterranean diet, rich in nuts, seafood, whole grains, and vegetables, has been linked to a range of health benefits, with a recent separate study suggesting that people who follow this diet have a lower risk of developing dementia later in life.
In the latest study, published in the journal Heart, researchers collected information from all previous studies on women who adopted a Mediterranean diet, cardiovascular disease, and their risk of death during the monitoring period.
Experts gathered data from 16 studies conducted among more than 720,000 women whose cardiovascular health was monitored for an average of 12.5 years, according to Agerpres.
The team, led by researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia, found that women who strictly followed a Mediterranean diet had a 24% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Additionally, their risk of dying from any cause during the study period was 23% lower. “We found that a Mediterranean diet was beneficial for women, with a 24% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 23% lower risk of mortality,” the authors wrote.
In a separate study, researchers led by experts from the University of Newcastle found that people who strictly followed a Mediterranean diet had a 23% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who did not follow such a strict diet.
The study published in the journal BMC Medicine analyzed data from over 60,000 people within the UK Biobank – an online database with medical history and lifestyle information on over half a million Britons.