Nuts have long been associated with longevity, and new research in diverse populations further supports this relationship. Researchers tracked peanut and nut intake of about 206,000 people in the US (low income blacks and whites) and China for over 5 years. High nut intake was associated with a 21% lower risk of death from all causes among the US participants, and a 17% lower risk in the Chinese participants. High nut and peanut intake was also associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease, especially in ischemic heart disease (the type of heart disease caused by narrowed arteries).
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2015 May;175(5):755-66. (Luu HN, et al.)

The Mediterranean diet has long been studied for its role in heart health and aging, but emerging research suggests that it may also be protective for brain health. In a follow up to the PREDIMED study (where Spanish adults at risk for heart disease were randomly assigned to either a Mediterranean diet with four tablespoons of olive oil daily, a Mediterranean diet with one ounce of nuts daily, or a low fat controlled diet) researchers analyzed the relationship between diet and cognitive function. Of the 334 participants in this study with data on cognitive function, the scientists found that overall brain function significantly improved for both Mediterranean groups over the 4-year experiment, compared with the control group. Specifically, the nuts group significantly improved on tests of memory, while the olive oil group significantly improved on tests of reasoning, planning, and problem solving. This adds to the growing body of research that the Mediterranean diet is an important factor in healthy aging.
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2015 May 11. [Epub ahead of print] (Valls-Pedret C et al.) 

Sardinia, Italy has gained international recognition as one of the world’s longevity Blue Zones, as it has a large concentration of people who live exceptionally long lives. To determine how the traditional Sardinian diet might play a role in longevity, European researchers analyzed the traditional eating habits of Sardinia based on works published over a century. Researchers characterize the traditional Sardinian diet as “remarkably frugal.” Foods native to the Sardinian diet include grains (wheat and barley), potatoes, pulses, sheep milk and goat milk and their fresh cheeses, wild fruits, and fresh vegetables, with fermented whole grain breads and minestrone soup making up a substantial portion of the diet prior to the 1950’s. After the mid-1950’s, Sardinians were able to eat more meat and pasta, along with more fresh vegetables, olive oil, and fish, but with fewer potatoes, pulses, and less lard. The researchers conclude that this unique combination of diets may attribute to the exceptionally long lifespan of Sardinians born at the end of the 19th century, and are eager to monitor the lifespan of future generations of Sardinians.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2015 Apr;69(4):411-8. (Pes GM et al.)

Dairy foods are most often prized for their calcium content, but new research reveals that changes to the gut microbiome, especially from eating fermented dairy products, like cheese, might help explain the “French Paradox,” the phenomenon in which traditional cheeses are linked with low rates of heart disease. In a small study to investigate the protective effect of dairy foods, Danish scientists randomly assigned 15 healthy men to one of three diets for two weeks: a diet with lots of partly skim (1.5%) milk, a diet with lots of semi-hard cow’s cheese, or a control diet with butter, but no other dairy products. Both the milk and cheese diets had the same amount of calcium per day (1.7g). The men rotated through each diet, with a two-week washout period in between each new diet group. Compared to the control diet, both the cheese and milk diets were associated with significantly lower production of TMAO, a compound that is thought to be a marker of heart disease risk. The researchers also found that “dairy consumption, especially cheese, can beneficially modify the gut microbiota to increase SFCA levels.” SFCAs (short chain fatty acids) are compounds produced by gut bacteria that are linked with many health promoting effects, such as lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, and inflammatory diseases.  
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2015 Mar 18;63(10):2830-9 (Zheng H et al).

One of the great ironies of the healthcare system is that doctors are often untrained in the most basic of wellness practices: nutrition. In a survey of 236 physicians at a large US medical center (including cardiologists and internal medicine doctors and trainees), fewer than 14% felt adequately trained to discuss nutrition with their patients. Nearly all doctors (90%) recognized the Mediterranean Diet as protective against heart disease, but fewer than half (46%) realized that low-fat diets have not been proven to reduce heart disease risk. Additionally, many doctors had trouble identifying foods high in various nutrients, such as which fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids. These data highlight the importance of making reliable nutrition resources (specifically those relating to well researched eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet) available to the medical community. (Note: If you’re a healthcare professional who would like to learn more about the Mediterranean Diet, see here.)
Presentation at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session. San Diego CA. March 15, 2015. 

Researchers have given us yet another reason to fill our plates with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and nuts! A European study followed more than 2,500 Greek adults for over a decade, tracking their medical records, lifestyle habits, and eating patterns. Those who most closely followed the Mediterranean Diet were 47% less likely to get heart disease, regardless of their smoking habits, age, family history, or other lifestyle factors. The scientists estimate that every one-point increase on the Mediterranean Diet score (a measure of how closely participants followed the Mediterranean Diet, on a scale of 1 to 55) is associated with a 3 percent drop in heart disease risk, so every little bit counts. In fact, the researchers found that the Mediterranean Diet was even more protective against heart disease than physical activity!
Presentation at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session. San Diego CA. March 15, 2015.

Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality, so learning more about dietary prevention is an important area of research. Scientists at Loma Linda University in California analyzed food patterns and health data from over 77,000 adults for an average of 7 years. After controlling for demographic and lifestyle factors (including age, smoking, physical activity, and family history), the researchers found that those who ate vegetarian diets had an approximately 20% lower risk of colorectal cancer compared with nonvegetarians. Researchers also found that pesco-vegetarians in particular (vegetarians who eat fish) had a much lower risk of colorectal cancer. These results support other studies linking the Mediterranean diet (a plant-based diet that features fish) with a decreased risk for colorectal cancer.
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2015 March 9. [Epub ahead of print] (Orlich MJ et al.)

The Mediterranean diet is not as pervasive in Mediterranean nations as it once was, but research indicates that adopting this traditional pattern of eating could have widespread benefits. Researchers in Turkey analyzed the eating habits of 900 adults without heart disease, then monitored their health for 5 years. Men and women most closely following a Mediterranean diet were significantly less likely to have a heart attack or need a stent to open up their blood vessels. Additionally, the men most closely following a Mediterranean diet had significantly lower rates of coronary artery disease (the most common type of heart disease) and coronary bypass grafts (surgery to improve blood flow to the heart). However, in women, the lower rates of coronary artery disease and coronary bypass grafts were not statistically significant.
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. 2015 Feb 15;8(2):2860-6. (Hoscan Y et al.)

Ventricular hypertrophy, or the thickening and enlargement of heart ventricles due to the accumulation of scar tissue, is thought to be a root cause of many heart ailments. To investigate how diet relates to this condition, researchers analyzed eating patterns and left ventricular mass (the size of the left ventricle of the heart, where enlargement is most common) of over 1,700 adults without history of heart attack or stroke. The scientists found that those most closely adhering to a Mediterranean Diet had a left ventricular mass that was 4% less than the rest of the study population, a reduction greater than that observed in people with moderate-to-heavy physical activity (another factor that supports heart health). In fact, for each point increase on the Mediterranean Diet Score (0-9), left ventricular mass was 1.98g lower (average left ventricular mass was 189g).
American Journal of Cardiology. 2015 Feb 15;115(4):510-4. (Gardener H et al.)

A worthy star of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil gains much of its prestige from the various antioxidants that it contains. To see how one of these antioxidants affects cancer growth, New York scientists extracted oleocanthal (OC), a compound in extra virgin olive oil, and applied it to a variety of cancer cells.  According to the scientists, “Amazingly, OC induced cell death in all cancer cells examined – as rapidly as 30 minutes after treatment,” but did not cause cell death in noncancerous cells. This finding opens up a new field in the area of cancer research, as scientists are eager to find more ways to treat and prevent this devastating disease. While guzzling olive oil is by no means a cure for cancer, these findings support existing research that enhancing your meals with olive oil is a delicious and nutritious practice to build a long and healthy life.
Molecular and Cellular Oncology. 2015 Jan 23. [Epub ahead of print] (LeGendre O et al.)

Puglia is a beautiful region in Southern Italy. In this article, researchers use Puglia as an example of the Mediterranean diet’s connection between both good taste and good health, highlighting typical, nutritionally balanced dishes (such as fave bianche e cicorie, orecchiette e cime di rapa, soup of pulses and whole wheat, savory anchovy pie, and salads). The authors also analyze the climate and vegetation of the region, noting that the abundance of olive oil and wheat, and the wide assortment of interesting local vegetables helps contribute to this mostly plant-based diet.
International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. 2015 January;2(2):63-71. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2014.12.001. (Renna M et al.)