Mediterranean Diet - The Secret to Aging Well After 70

Aakash Acharya, MD^a

^a Centinela Hospital Medical Center, Inglewood, California, USA

Background

What we put on our plates profoundly shapes both our bodies and our future health. A CDC report released in August 2025 found that more than half of the calories Americans eat, starting as early as childhood, come from ultra-processed foods. Sandwiches, sweet baked goods, salty snacks, and sugary drinks top the list [1]. So what does this mean for our health? And just as important, what are the people who live the longest actually eating?

The Diet Secret That Keeps You Healthy Beyond 70

A longitudinal study published in Nature Medicine in March 2025 tracked 105,000 individuals over three decades. Researchers examined how closely participants followed eight major dietary patterns and their effect on healthy aging. Of the participants, 9,771, or 9.3%, maintained healthy aging. Roughly two out of three were women. [2]

Why Should You Care About This Study?

• Large Sample Size: The study included over 100,000 participants and made the findings robust and generalizable.
• Extended Follow-Up: Researchers used thirty years of data to evaluate the lifelong impact of diet.
• Repeated Dietary Assessments: Diets were measured multiple times and improve accuracy.
• Adjustment for Confounders: The analysis accounted for age, BMI, exercise, smoking, alcohol use, and calorie intake and strengthened the validity of the results.

What Makes Aging Healthy?

In this study, individuals were considered to have achieved healthy aging by age 70 if they met all of the following criteria:

• Absence of 11 chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, COPD, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and ALS.
• No significant memory decline or dementia.
• Independence in daily activities such as walking, stair climbing, and carrying groceries.
• Low depression levels and good emotional well-being.

The Secret Menu for Longevity - Backed By 30 Years of Science

The healthiest agers followed a Mediterranean-style diet based on whole, minimally processed foods, including:

• Abundant vegetables and fruits (especially leafy greens and berries).
• Whole grains over refined grains.
• Healthy protein sources: legumes, nuts, seeds, fatty fish (salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel), lean poultry, and low-fat dairy.
• Minimal red and processed meat.
• Healthy unsaturated fats (olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil; omega-3-rich fish; negligible trans fat).
• Limited sodium, sugary drinks, and sweets.
• Moderate alcohol (≤1 drink/day for women, ≤2 for men, if consumed).
• Low intake of ultra-processed foods.

Your Body Will Thank You for Skipping The Junk

Diets high in ultra-processed foods, processed meats, sugary drinks, salt, and unhealthy fats, especially trans fats and excessive saturated fats, are linked to negative health outcomes. Trans fats come in two types.

• Industrial Trans Fats: Found in partially hydrogenated oils and appear in baked goods such as cookies, cakes, and pies, fried foods like doughnuts and fries, stick margarine, shortening, certain microwave popcorn, packaged snacks, nondairy creamers, and fast food.
• Naturally Occurring Trans Fats: Present in small amounts in ruminant-derived foods such as butter, whole milk, cheese, beef, and lamb. [3,4]

Key Takeaways

• About 9 percent of participants achieved healthy aging when they properly followed the diet, showing it is possible.
• Healthy diets include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans, healthy fats, fish, and low-fat dairy.
• Healthy fats from olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fish help protect your health.
• Beyond diet, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, and moderating alcohol intake are equally important for healthy aging.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this work.

Acknowledgment

The authors utilized generative artificial intelligence (ChatGPT, Grammarly) to enhance language editing and readability. All medical information, interpretation, and conclusions were developed, verified, and approved by the authors.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What we eat in America: Sources of calories from foods among people aged 1 and over, 2021–2022. NCHS. 2025 Aug [cited 2025 Sep 6];(536). Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db536.htm
2. Liu J, Sun Q, Willett WC, Hu FB, Shan Z. Association of diet quality with healthy aging: Findings from 30 years of follow-up in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Nat Med. 2025;31(3):567–78. PMID: 40128348. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03570-5
3. Mayo Clinic. Trans fat is double trouble for your heart health. 2023 [cited 2025 Sep 6]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/trans-fat/art-20046114
4. World Health Organization. Trans-fatty acids. 2023 [cited 2025 Sep 6]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/trans-fat