Switching to a Mediterranean diet can be as healthy as walking an extra 4000 steps per day, new research finds
A study by researchers from Boston University published on April 28th found that just by changing what we eat, we can gain similar benefits as by doing light-intensity exercise (walking). But how can a diet provide “exercise” benefits? Let’s see!
How the study went
The study analyzed data from 2380 participants aged around 45-63. Specifically, they measured how well their body performed during physical activity (physical fitness), and how that correlated with the diet they’ve been eating. The researchers also analyzed participants’ blood samples to get a hint into which foods had the biggest impact on fitness.
Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, the diet really mattered! In particular, they found that those who had a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet had greater physical fitness and also had stronger hearts.
"Following a Mediterranean diet is really linked to greater physical and heart fitness."
So what’s the magical Mediterranean diet, you might ask? The general idea of this diet revolves around eating more legumes, whole grains, nuts, vegetables, fruits, fish, mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) like olive oil, and eating less red meat and saturated fatty acids (SFAs) like butter or animal fat.
The foods that had the most impact
Remember the blood tests? Well, here is what researchers found. Here are the foods that had the biggest negative impact on participants’ fitness:
- Sugar-sweetened beverages
- Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) (butter, animal fat)
- Trans fats (fried foods, margarine, shortening)
- Red meat
And here are the ones that had the biggest positive impact:
- Fish (oily fish rich in omega-3 (DHA) like salmon or mackerel)
- Vegetables
- Chicken
- Cinnamon
Does it really equal 4000 steps?
When all of this data was summed up and processed, researchers could see that switching to a Mediterranean diet boosted physical fitness by 5%! That might not seem like a lot, but that’s equivalent to walking an extra 4000 steps per day, or 3 km (1.86 miles), or going for a 45-minute stroll. Every. Single. Day.
Considering that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends doing 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week for optimal health, a diet equivalent to a 45-min walk per day would be a pretty sizable benefit. And yes, walking could be counted as moderate-intensity exercise.
"Following a Mediterranean diet may give you the equivalent benefits of reaching the WHO recommendations for weekly exercise."
The takeaway
Physical activity and the foods you eat have a drastic impact on your health. And from this research, we can see that the benefits overlap sometimes.
In particular, the researchers found that eating more fish, vegetables, chicken and cinnamon, and eating less red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, trans fats and saturated fats is associated with greater physical fitness.
And although tempting, it doesn’t mean you can substitute a jog with some salmon and veggies. But salmon with veggies, plus a jog – now, that’s something that will really make your body happy.
More from the magazine
Selected stories from our Team
