A recipe for long life
December 18, 2004
PARIS: A diet rich in fish, fruit, vegetables and a daily glass of red wine could help people in wealthy countries extend their life span by five years or more, according to a new study.
Doctors projected the potential impact of the so-called Polymeal, inspired by the famous Mediterranean diet, on US health.
Using a computer model of the American adult population, they calculated the risk of heart disease would fall by 76 per cent, women would live five years longer on average and the life expectancy for men would rise by 6.6 years compared to those who did not follow the diet.
Their projections are based on previous research which identifies the success of specific foods in lowering blood pressure.
The Polymeal diet proposed in the study comprises fish, eaten four times a week; wine, amounting to 15 centilitres a day; dark chocolate (100g a day); fruit and vegetables (400g a day); garlic (2.7g a day) and almonds (68g a day).
The new research, published in the British Medical Journal today, puts forward the Polymeal diet as a tastier and safer alternative to the proposed Polypill.
This was a concept put forward last year that would include, in a single pill, specific components known to combat cholerestol and other potential causes of heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Western populations and rates are also on the rise in fast-growing developing countries