The research analysed all published studies that examined the link between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and development of frailty in older people.
The prevalence of frailty is common among older individuals worldwide, which may result in older adults feeling low in energy, experiencing weight loss and weak muscle strength. However, now a new study has established the efficacy of Mediterranean diet in reducing the risk of frailty among elderly by analysing evidence from all published studies examining associations between adherence to a Mediterranean diet rich in plant-based foods and development of frailty.
The researchers, led by Dr. Kate Walters and Gotaro Kojima of University College London in the UK, analysed 5,789 people in four studies in France, Spain, Italy, and China. “We found the evidence was very consistent that older people who follow a Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of becoming frail,” said Dr. Walters.
“People who followed a Mediterranean diet the most were overall less than half as likely to become frail over a nearly four-year period compared with those who followed it the least,” she added.
For long, scientists have held the view that nutrition plays a crucial role in developing frailty among older individuals. The team of researchers, therefore, analysed all published studies that examined the link between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and development of frailty in older people.
“Our study supports the growing body of evidence on the potential health benefits of a Mediterranean diet, in our case for potentially helping older people to stay well as they age,” said Dr. Kojima.
The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that the Mediterranean diet may help older individuals maintain muscle strength, activity, weight and energy levels.
The research findings are expected to go a long way to address numerous health concerns of the aging population across the world, which include falls, fractures, hospitalisation, nursing home placement, disability, dementia, and premature death. Frailty is also associated with a lower quality of life.
“While the studies we included adjusted for many of the major factors that could be associated—for example, their age, gender, social class, smoking, alcohol, how much they exercised, and how many health conditions they had—there may be other factors that were not measured and we could not account for,” said Dr. Walters.
“We now need large studies that look at whether increasing how much you follow a Mediterranean diet will reduce your risk of becoming frail,” she added.
