Although the life expectancy ranking by country for 2023has Hong Kong, Macao, and Japan sitting at the top, the second half of the top 10 accommodates no less than three Mediterranean countries. These countries are Italy, Spain, and Malta. However, when sorting by life expectancy for females, Spain goes up from 8th place to 5th.

According to a study that was conducted by Harvard Medical School's Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) research team, women who follow the Mediterranean diet were 23% less likely to die during the 25-year period taken into account. The study involved over 25,315 "initially healthy" women from the United States and concluded that the 23% drop in mortality of all causes was also present when talking about cancer and cardiovascular fatalities.

This diet is rich in nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, while the main fat used is olive oil (extra virgin whenever possible). Protein comes from fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs, but all in moderate amounts. Alcohol, red meat, sweets, and processed foods are kept to a minimum.

While the study mentioned above highlighted biological pathways that could explain all-cause mortality risks, it also had its drawbacks. Only middle-aged and older females working in the health sector, predominantly white and non-Hispanic, were included. Although it relied on self-measured and reported data, the greatest strengths of the study were its large scale and extended period.

In the end, the conclusion that can be drawn for women and men anywhere is that, more than anything else, what we eat has a key impact on the quality and duration of our lives. The Mediterranean diet can even be used for weight loss, as revealed by Julene Stassou's The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28-Day Kickstart Plan for Lasting Weight Loss, which is currently available for free with Kindle Unlimited and $11.47 in paperback format (34% off). For $23.99 (17% discount to the $28.99 list price), those interested can get the spiral-bound edition.