People living in areas that regularly eat a Mediterranean diet have been found in studies to have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer. And to live a longer, healthier life.

“This is a diet that people can live a long life ─ over 100 years,” says Dr. Chauncey Crandall, world-renowned cardiologist and director of preventive medicine at the Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic in Florida.

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The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional eating patterns of people living in the countries, such as Greece, Italy and Spain, that border the Mediterranean Sea. In general, the diet emphasizes plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, healthy fats like olive oil, and moderate amounts of fish and poultry, while limiting red meats and processed foods.

“Foods that you can eat off a tree or grow in the ground,” Crandall tells Newsmax’s “Newsline.”  

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“It's a diet that is proven to give you long life and it focuses a lot on olive oil, which has beneficial properties for long-term health,” adds Crandall.

Research has linked olive oil to a variety of health benefits. One study of more than 92,000 men and women, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that those who consumed the most olive oil ─ a little more than half a tablespoon a day ─ had a 19% lower risk of death from any cause over the 28-year study period compared to those who never or rarely used olive oil. In addition, consuming more olive oil was linked to lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

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The beneficial effects of olive oil come from its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, according to Crandall.  Inflammation in the body is a main cause of cancer and heart disease. In addition, olive oil has been found to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, which contributes to the development of heart disease.

So, people who eat a Mediterranean diet that includes olive oil live longer, have less heart disease, have less mental illness, and have less cancer throughout their life, says Crandall, editor of the popular newsletter Dr. Crandall's Heart Health Report.

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In order to live a longer, healthier life, we need to adopt better eating and lifestyle habits, according to Crandall. “We need to eat fresh foods, fresh vegetables, minimal red meat, fish, poultry. We need to exercise,” advises Crandall.

“Another thing about the Mediterranean diet is that we socialize together. We start having dinner together. We start celebrating together. We've lost that in the United States,” says Crandall.  

“Stay away from processed foods. They are bad for you. They create cancer, heart disease, other inflammatory disorders. So, stay with fresh foods, things that grow out of the ground, off the tree,” emphasizes Crandall.