Published scientific data demonstrate enhanced human longevity in response to healthier dietary choices.

A 2024 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association further corroborated this.¹

It showed a 23% reduction in all-cause mortality in a large group of women with the highest adherence to a Mediterranean diet.

What makes this study unique is that it did more than evaluate dietary practices. It also performed extensive blood testing over time to track various health biomarkers.

The study aimed to examine the correlation between reduced mortality and lower blood levels of biomarkers such as:

• Homocysteine and triglyceride-rich lipo-protein: Biomarkers of cardiovascular risk.
• C-reactive protein: A biomarker of inflammation.
• Creatinine: A biomarker of kidney function.
• Lipoprotein insulin resistance index score: A biomarker of type II diabetes risk.²

In this study, reduced death risks were associated with:

• Lower homocysteine and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (& other lipids),
• Lower C-reactive protein (and other inflammatory markers),
• Lower creatinine (kidney function),
• Lower insulin resistance (diabetic markers), and
• Lower body mass.

These findings are remarkable in that they correspond to what readers of this magazine have long practiced to extend their healthy lifespans.

For those who question the value of comprehensive blood testing, these results reveal how easy it is to identify dangerous blood markers that are correctable if caught before serious disease/death manifests.

As data accumulate from human studies, it becomes increasingly apparent that early life exposure to stressors, such as inflammatory damage and increased arterial clogging factors, plays a critical role in the development of chronic diseases and the reduction of lifespan in adulthood.^3-9

A study published by the American Medical Association followed 25,315 women over a 25-year period. The researchers found 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality in those with the best adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet compared to the worst adherence.¹

Mortality risk reductions were found for both cancer and cardiovascular diseases in these women.

The researchers were able to correlate their data to blood test findings associated with increased longevity. These include changes in blood biomarkers of atherosclerosis, metabolism, inflammation, insulin resistance and more.

The benefits of Mediterranean diets have been reported in multiple studies.^10-15 This 2024 published study partially reveals why this diet may reduce all-cause mortality.

It provides clinicians with a strong rationale to manage patients’ dietary practices, order comprehensive blood tests, and initiate prophylactic treatments to correct risk factors, such as elevated homocysteine and lipids early on.

Opposite of Standard American Diet

A 2025 survey of nutrition experts ranked the Mediterranean diet #1 for promoting healthy longevity.¹⁶

This is not news to our long-term readers, as we have espoused the Mediterranean diet for many decades.

The sidebar on the next page summarizes food groups that comprise a healthy Mediterranean diet and deadly ones that should be minimized or avoided.

The sad fact is that typical Americans are consuming the opposite of Mediterranean-type diets. They instead ingest huge amounts of ultra processed, fried, sugar/starch/salt-laden, and overcooked foods.

“SAD” is the acronym for “standard American diet.” It may be killing more Americans than tobacco, according to a respected study.¹⁸ One reason is that a higher percent of Americans ingest deadly foods than those who smoked cigarettes at its peak.

Limited Healthy Food Choices

I am aware of the limited availability and higher costs associated with healthier dietary practices.

My early years involved lots of unhealthy dietary practices out of necessity.

The 2024 data published in JAMA provide intriguing opportunities to utilize blood test results as incentives to make healthier food choices and target specific blood markers that shorten human longevity.

Even minimal improvements can confer extended life years that improve your odds of surviving until meaningful age-reversal therapeutics become widely available.

Your Early Warning Opportunity

Back in the early 1980s, we published data suggesting that readers check their homocysteine blood levels and take corrective actions if elevated. Ideal homocysteine levels should be under 12 umol/L,^20,21 with levels below 8 umol/L being optimal for health.

The cost back then for homocysteine testing was high, and many doctors refused to prescribe this test because they did not understand homocysteine’s atherosclerotic risks.

This was a driving factor for our Life Extension group to enable supporters to order their own blood tests at affordable prices.

The number of lives saved because of this direct-to-consumer blood test option is incalculable. Many early stage prostate cancers have been detected with PSA tests. Even more lives were saved by identifying and correcting cardiovascular risks.

Comprehensive annual blood tests provide an early warning opportunity to detect underlying risks of developing diabetes, vascular disorders, dementia, and some cancers before they manifest as full-blown disease(s).

You may have seen public service ads warning that one out of three American adults has prediabetes, and most don’t know it.²² The reason they don’t know is that they are not having their blood tested…and most blood test panels omit fasting insulin.

As insulin resistance worsens with age, unhealthy diets,²³ obesity,²³ and sedentary lifestyles,²⁴ the pancreas secretes huge amounts of insulin that temporarily lowers glucose and A1C. This can temporarily cover up a festering diabetic condition that silently damages tissues throughout the body.

We at Life Extension have long urged fasting insulin to be included in blood panels to detect and reverse hidden diabetic disorders.

Blood Test Super Sale

On the next page there is a listing of what’s in our popular Male or Female Blood Test Panels.

These panels include homocysteine, C-reactive protein, creatinine, lipids, the major type II diabetes risk biomarkers (fasting insulin, glucose, A1C) and much more.

Commercial labs charge over $2,800 for these comprehensive blood tests. Life Extension charges $325 for the same tests.

Once a year we discount all blood tests, which brings the price of the Male or Female Panel down to $243.

After your order is placed, we send a requisition and list of blood draw stations in your neighborhood. Most allow you to walk in at your convenience. Results come back fast, and you are welcome to speak to our Wellness Specialists at no charge if you have any questions.

Whether you use our blood testing service or your doctor’s, please have annual blood tests performed to detect and correct degenerative factors before they manifest as a clinically relevant disease.

This year we add cortisol to the Male and Female Blood Test Panels.

Cortisol is a hormone that you don’t want to be too high or low as it can have implications for glucose management, metabolic health, and endocrine conditions.^25,26

And as I began this editorial, human data continue to validate the benefits of a Mediterranean-type diet. We now know this healthy diet correlates with improved blood biomarkers of future disease risk.

For longer life,

William Faloon, Co-Founder, Life Extension®

References

1. Ahmad S, Moorthy MV, Lee IM, et al. Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Risk of All-Cause Mortality in Women. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 May 1;7(5):e2414322.
2. Harada PHN, Demler OV, Dugani SB, et al. Lipoprotein insulin resistance score and risk of incident diabetes during extended follow-up of 20 years: The Women’s Health Study. J Clin Lipidol. 2017 Sep-Oct;11(5):1257-67.e2.
3. Barr DA. The Childhood Roots of Cardiovascular Disease Disparities. Mayo Clin Proc. 2017 Sep;92(9):1415-21.
4. Packard CJ, Bezlyak V, McLean JS, et al. Early life socioeconomic adversity is associated in adult life with chronic inflammation, carotid atherosclerosis, poorer lung function and decreased cognitive performance: a cross-sectional, population-based study. BMC Public Health. 2011 Jan 17;11:42.
5. Miller GE, Chen E, Parker KJ. Psychological stress in childhood and susceptibility to the chronic diseases of aging: moving toward a model of behavioral and biological mechanisms. Psychol Bull. 2011 Nov;137(6):959-97.
6. Malham M, Jansson S, Ingels H, et al. Paediatric-onset immune-mediated inflammatory disease is associated with an increased mortality risk-A nationwide study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2024 Jun;59(12):1551-8.
7. Olen O, Askling J, Sachs MC, et al. Increased Mortality of Patients With Childhood-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Compared With the General Population. Gastroenterology. 2019 Feb;156(3):614-22.
8. Ariffin H, Azanan MS, Abd Ghafar SS, et al. Young adult survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia show evidence of chronic inflammation and cellular aging. Cancer. 2017 Nov 1;123(21):4207-14.
9. Flores M, Wolfe BL. The Influence of Early-Life Health Conditions on Life Course Health. Demography. 2023 Apr 1;60(2):431-59.
10. Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvado J, et al. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts. N Engl J Med. 2018 Jun 21;378(25):e34.
11. Bonaccio M, Di Castelnuovo A, Costanzo S, et al. Mediterranean diet and mortality in the elderly: a prospective cohort study and a meta-analysis. Br J Nutr. 2018 Oct;120(8):841-54.
12. Schwingshackl L, Schwedhelm C, Galbete C, et al. Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Risk of Cancer: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2017 Sep 26;9(10).
13. Koch W. Dietary Polyphenols-Important Non-Nutrients in the Prevention of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases. A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2019 May 9;11(5).
14. Dominguez LJ, Veronese N, Di Bella G, et al. Mediterranean diet in the management and prevention of obesity. Exp Gerontol. 2023 Apr;174:112121.
15. Radd-Vagenas S, Duffy SL, Naismith SL, et al. Effect of the Mediterranean diet on cognition and brain morphology and function: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Mar 1;107(3):389-404.
16. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/13/the-mediterranean-diet-is-the-no-1-diet-for-2025-why-its-so-popular-.html. Accessed February 28, 2025.
17. Available at: https://oldwayspt.org/explore-heritage-diets/mediterranean-diet/. Accessed March 4, 2025.
18. Available at: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/04/03/709507504/bad-diets-are-responsible-for-more-deaths-than-smoking-global-study-finds. Accessed March 4, 2025.
19. Fekete M, Szarvas Z, Fazekas-Pongor V, et al. Nutrition Strategies Promoting Healthy Aging: From Improvement of Cardiovascular and Brain Health to Prevention of Age-Associated Diseases. Nutrients. 2022 Dec 22;15(1).
20. Smith AD, Refsum H. Homocysteine - from disease biomarker to disease prevention. J Intern Med. 2021 Oct;290(4):826-54.
21. Feng Y, Kang K, Xue Q, et al. Value of plasma homocysteine to predict stroke, cardiovascular diseases, and new-onset hypertension: A retrospective cohort study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Aug 21;99(34):e21541.
22. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/awareness-campaigns/cdc-national-prediabetes-awareness-campaign.html. Accessed February 28, 2025.
23. Janssen J. Hyperinsulinemia and Its Pivotal Role in Aging, Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jul 21;22(15).
24. Andersson DP, Kerr AG, Dahlman I, et al. Relationship Between a Sedentary Lifestyle and Adipose Insulin Resistance. Diabetes. 2023 Mar 1;72(3):316-25.
25. Joseph JJ, Golden SH. Cortisol dysregulation: the bidirectional link between stress, depression, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2017 Mar;1391(1):20-34.
26. van der Valk ES, Savas M, van Rossum EFC. Stress and Obesity: Are There More Susceptible Individuals? Curr Obes Rep. 2018 Jun;7(2):193-203.