Religiously following a Mediterranean diet can be conducive to a long life; helps keep people younger and prevents signs of aging, said researchers from Boston.

The diet consists of vegetables, olive oil, fresh fish and fruits that apparently prevent DNA from aging as fast as it should.

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Researchers monitored the health of nearly 5,000 nurses for more than a decade. These nurses adhered to the diet and showed fewer signs of aging in their cells.

The Mediterranean diet is known to have healthy effects such as cutting the risk of heart disease. Researchers are still unclear how the diet exactly works but its key elements--fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry and fish--instead of lots of red meat, butter and animal fat have proven beneficial for the body.

This diet contains an abundance of vitamins and minerals that act like a buffer against stress and damage to tissues and cells. This latest study suggests the Mediterranean diet protects DNA.

The researchers carefully examined telomeres or the structures that protect the ends of the chromosomes where genetic DNA code is stored. These telomeres also prevent the loss of genetic information during the process of cell division.

As humans age, these cells divide, making telomeres shorter and weaker as cells die. The length of these telomeres provides clues about cellular aging, says researchers.

Shorter telomeres are signs of age related diseases such as heart disease and different types of cancers. This particular study shows those nurses that preferred the Mediterranean diet have longer and healthier telomeres.

Researchers also confirm a well rounded serving of each of the components of the diet is pivotal in maintaining healthy telomeres. This study was published in the British Medical Journal.

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