No other diet is considered as healthy as the Mediterranean cuisine. An American study has found out why: vegetables, nuts and fish extend the ends of the chromosomes - and that lengthens life, reports the German website Curado.de. These caps, called telomeres, ensure that the stability of the chromosome structure is maintained, but as we age these become shorter. Short telomeres not only shorten life, but also increase the risk of age-related diseases. How quickly one's telomeres shorten is influenced in part, by ones lifestyle.
Fruits, vegetables and nuts - key components of the Mediterranean diet - have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory components. Both processes affect telomere length. Chronic stress, influenced by serotonin and dopamine metabolism, shorten telomeres. Moderate changes in one's lifestyle can lead to lengthening the telomeres.