Diet
Diet is one of the most important determinants of overall health, longevity, and quality of life. A well-balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and healthy fats has been associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cognitive decline, and premature mortality. Despite their extensive knowledge of health and disease prevention, physicians, healthcare professionals, and other busy professionals often struggle to prioritize healthy eating in their own lives. Long work hours, demanding schedules, irregular meal times, workplace stress, and limited access to nutritious food options frequently lead to reliance on convenience foods, skipped meals, or suboptimal dietary choices. As a result, many professionals find it challenging to consistently follow the very lifestyle practices they recommend to their patients and clients. Recognizing and addressing these barriers is essential, as maintaining a healthy diet not only supports personal well-being but also enhances energy, productivity, resilience, and the ability to serve others effectively.
The following is a concise summary of recent research demonstrating the important role of specific dietary patterns in promoting health, preventing chronic disease, and supporting healthy aging.
Mediterranean diet:
Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Risk of All-Cause Mortality in Women
In a large prospective cohort study published in JAMA, involving 25,315 women followed for 25 years, greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with and a 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality, and small molecule metabolites and inflammatory biomarkers contributed most to the lower mortality risk.
Ahmad S, Moorthy MV, Lee I, et al. Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Risk of All-Cause Mortality in Women. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(5):e2414322. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14322
MIND Diet:
MIND Diet and Hippocampal Sclerosis Among Community-Based Older Adults
A cohort study of 809 autopsied participants from a community-based population demonstrated that higher adherence to the Mediterranean–Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet was associated with significantly lower odds of hippocampal sclerosis (HS) (78%), HS accompanied by limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic change (LATE-NC) (79%), and hippocampal neuronal loss and less risk of dementia at the time of death.
Agarwal P, Agrawal S, Wagner M, Cherian LJ, Aggarwal NT, James BD, Holland TM, Bennett DA, Barnes LL, Leurgans SE, Schneider JA. MIND Diet and Hippocampal Sclerosis Among Community-Based Older Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Aug 1;8(8):e2526089.
Plant based diet:
Role of plant-based diets in promoting health and longevity - Maturitas
A review article reported that vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns are associated with lower mortality rates compared with diets that regularly include meat. Plant-based diets were also linked to more favorable metabolic and inflammatory profiles. However, the specific biological mechanisms underlying the potential longevity benefits of plant-based diets remain incompletely understood. Furthermore, the health advantages of plant-based diets may be attenuated in older adults, as individuals over 65 years of age have increased protein requirements to support healthy aging.
Herpich C, Müller-Werdan U, Norman K, Role of plant-based diets in promoting health and longevity, Maturitas, 2022; 165, 47-51
Optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging | Nature Medicine
In another article published in Nature Medicine, the researchers report that in two large prospective cohorts followed for up to 30 years, greater adherence to several healthy dietary patterns was consistently associated with higher odds of healthy aging, defined by preserved cognitive, physical, and mental health and survival free of major chronic disease. Higher intakes of fruits, whole grains, vegetables, added unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes and low-fat dairy were associated with greater odds of healthy aging, higher intakes of trans fats, sodium, total meats, and red and processed meats were associated with lower odds of healthy aging. These results support dietary patterns centered on plant-based foods, with moderate inclusion of healthy animal-based foods, as a potential strategy to promote healthy aging.
Tessier, AJ., Wang, F., Korat, A.A. et al. Optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging. Nat Med31, 1644–1652 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03570-5
Diet and Burnout
The Association between Healthy Diet and Burnout
In this Finnish study, the researchers reported that consumption of healthy food items had an inverse relationship with the severity of burnout symptoms independently of age, education years, physical activity, and depressive symptoms. Participants with lower burnout scores consumed more often low-fat dairy produce, vegetables, fruit and berries, vegetable food, and white meat.
Penttinen MA, Virtanen J, Laaksonen M, Erkkola M, Vepsäläinen H, Kautiainen H, Korhonen P. The Association between Healthy Diet and Burnout Symptoms among Finnish Municipal Employees. Nutrients. 2021 Jul 13;13(7):2393.