Switching to a Mediterranean Diet , Could Add Over 10 Years to Your Life, Study Says.<br />The new peer-reviewed study was published in 'PLOS Medicine' on Feb. 8.<br />The findings suggest young adults in America could add over a decade to their lifespan by ditching a Western diet.<br />Older individuals who make the same lifestyle changes may experience an 8-year boost in life expectancy.<br />That means consuming less red and processed meat, and eating more <br />whole grains, nuts and legumes.<br />Food is fundamental for health, and global dietary risk factors are estimated to cause 11 million deaths and 255 million disability-adjusted life years annually, Lars Thore Fadnes, Norwegian nutrition researcher and <br />lead study author, to The Daily Beast.<br />Understanding the health potential of different food groups could enable people to make feasible and significant health gains, Lars Thore Fadnes, Norwegian nutrition researcher and <br />lead study author, to The Daily Beast.<br />Understanding the health potential of different food groups could enable people to make feasible and significant health gains, Lars Thore Fadnes, Norwegian nutrition researcher and <br />lead study author, to The Daily Beast.<br />Legumes were a standout factor in <br />life expectancy gains.<br />In addition to being high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates, .<br />“legumes are practically free of saturated fat and cholesterol,” said Fadnes.<br />Legumes, nuts and whole grains are prominent in the "blue zones" of the world where people live the longest
