Traditional Cretan Diet and Longevity: Evidence from the Seven Countries Study

Abstract

This study has also shown the population of Crete to be the longest living one: when, in 1991, thirty one years after the beginning of the study, the Social Health Sector of the University of Crete undertook the medical checkup of the group, about 50% were found to be still alive as opposed to Finland where there wasn’t a single survivor [2]. Modifiable factors such as physical activity and diet might depict the secret formula of the Cretan long livers [3]. Another study conducted in 2000 found that elderly men from Crete had consistently lower levels of the indicators of oxidative stress and higher concentrations of major antioxidants than men from Zutphen (The Netherlands). Oxidative stress may influence the rate of shortening of telomere length, a useful biomarker of disease progression [4]. Thereafter, this study compared leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in elderly men from Northern and Southern Europe and investigated the possible relationship between LTL and indicators of oxidative stress and antioxidant status. Greek elderly men had significantly longer LTL compared to Dutch counterparts. The endogenous antioxidants serum albumin and uric acid were positively associated with longer telomeres [5]. These differences may contribute to the lower rate total mortality that has been observed in Cretan men.