Women in the study who ate more Mediterranean foods— such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, unrefined grains, fish and olive oil— and drank moderate amounts of wine with their meals had longer telomeres in their blood cells. Telomeres are sequences of DNA that form protective caps at the ends of chromosomes.

Telomeres get shorter every time a cell divides, so their length is thought to be a measure of a cell's aging. Stress and inflammation may also shorten people's telomeres, the researchers said in the study.
A new analysis suggests yet another potential health benefit of the Mediterranean diet.

"The health benefits of greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet — reduction of overall mortality, increased longevity and reduced incidence of chronic diseases, especially major cardiovascular diseases — have been consistently demonstrated," Immaculata De Vivo, MPH, PhD, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, told Medscape Medical News.

Previous research has suggested that following the Mediterranean diet can reduce overall mortality, incidence of chronic diseases - such as major cardiovascular diseases - and increase the likelihood of healthy aging, according to background information in the study.

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by:
 High intake of vegetables, fruit, nuts, legumes, unrefined grains
 High intake of olive oil but low intake of saturated fats
 Moderately high intake of fish
 Low intake of dairy products, meat and poultry
 Regular (but moderate) intake of alcohol (wine with meals).

Lifestyle factors such as obesity and sugar-sweetened drinks have been linked to shorter-than-average telomeres, as have oxidative stress and inflammation. Key components of the Mediterranean diet - fruits, nuts and vegetables - are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, suggesting that they could influence telomere length in a positive way.

Mediterranean diet adherence significantly associated with longer telomeres. It is considered to be one of the healthiest and is recommended as an eating plan by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The positive association found in this new study only serves to reinforce this idea.