A Mediterranean diet based on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, olive oil, beans, and fermented dairy is a delicious blueprint for good health. However, lifestyle elements in addition to diet can also make a difference. In a study of 92 (mostly male) firefighter recruits in New England, those who most closely follow a Mediterranean lifestyle (as defined by eating a Mediterranean diet, adequate sleep, lower screen time, lower BMI, exercising, and not smoking) were significantly less likely to have high blood pressure, and were significantly more likely to have better aerobic capacity (a measure of the ability to provide oxygen to muscles).
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2020 Jul;62(7): 466–471. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001868 (Lan FY et al.)