Not by Olive Oil Alone

That doesn't mean the key to longevity is moving to a Greek Isle or living on olive oil. In a companion piece to the study, Frank Hu, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, pointed out that while olive oil is the hallmark of the traditional Mediterranean diet, the present study showed that benefits lay not so much with olive oil itself, but with monounsaturated fats as opposed to saturated fats.

"Thus, a Mediterranean-type diet, when translated into other cultures, can use food options beyond olive oil for increasing the intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats at the expense of saturated and trans fats and refined carbohydrates," Hu explained.

Other sources of healthy, plant-based fats include canola oil, nuts, and nut oils like peanut oil. They are known to help reduce the levels of LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

What's more, Hu said the study did not find that any particular food group stood out health-wise. Instead, he said it was the overall diet that mattered.

Club Med

So adapt a Mediterranean diet to suit your taste buds. Or try ours. The FoodFit Diet & Fitness Plan, developed as a joint venture between FoodFit and the Departments of Medicine and Nutrition at the University of California at Davis, has many of the same nutritional attributes you would find in a Mediterranean diet.

— Leila Corcoran

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