Seniors that ate a Mediterranean diet high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and legumes were able to live independently longer, had fewer falls and fractures, and were less frail, according to recent research. In a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, University College London researchers analyzed the eating habits and health data of 5,789 participants in studies in France, Spain, Italy and China. “People that followed the Mediterranean diet the most were overall less than half as likely to become frail over a nearly four-year period compared with those that followed it the least,” says lead author Katy Walters, Ph.D. The researchers also noted that the plant-based diet may help older people maintain muscle strength, activity, weight and energy levels.

This article appears in the May 2018 issue of Natural Awakenings.