Higher Mediterranean diet adherence was associated with lower blood pressure, lower fasting blood glucose, fewer anxiety symptoms, and better self-perceived health among adults attending primary care centres in Navarra, Spain, though cross-sectional findings do not establish temporality or causality.
Each one-point increase in the MEDAS-14 score was associated with lower systolic blood pressure.
Each one-point increase in the MEDAS-14 score was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure.
Each one-point increase in the MEDAS-14 score was associated with lower fasting blood glucose.
Each one-point increase in the MEDAS-14 score was associated with fewer anxiety symptoms as measured by the Goldberg anxiety score.
Each one-point increase in the MEDAS-14 score was associated with higher EQ VAS scores, indicating better self-perceived health-related quality of life.
BMI was inversely associated with MEDAS-14 score in the principal linear model.
The association between MEDAS-14 score and waist circumference was not statistically significant in the adjusted model.
No adjusted association between Mediterranean diet adherence and Goldberg depression score was observed.
Associations for BMI, waist circumference, and total cholesterol showed evidence of non-linearity.
This research suggests that eating a Mediterranean-style diet — rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and legumes — is linked to several health benefits in adults who visit primary care clinics in Spain. The study followed nearly 500 adults and found that those who more closely followed the Mediterranean diet tended to have lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels, less anxiety, and reported feeling healthier overall. These associations held up even after accounting for factors like age, sex, education level, and physical activity. Importantly, the study also found that Mediterranean diet adherence was associated with lower body weight (BMI), though the relationship between diet and BMI, waist size, and cholesterol appeared to be more complex and non-linear, meaning the benefit did not simply increase in a straight line as diet quality improved. Interestingly, while the diet was linked to lower anxiety symptoms, no similar link was found for depression. The researchers also noted that the associations with blood pressure and quality of life appeared to differ somewhat between men and women. Because this was a cross-sectional study — meaning it looked at one snapshot in time rather than following people over years — it cannot prove that the Mediterranean diet caused these health benefits. People who eat healthier may also differ in other ways that affect their health. The study also did not account for participants' medical diagnoses or medications, which could influence results. The authors call for future long-term studies to confirm whether adopting a Mediterranean diet leads to these improvements over time.
Sulaiman Rojas J, Abellán Alemán J, Alonso Salinas G, Golac Rabanal M, Marco Detchart C, Arrechea Irigoyen I, et al.. (2026). Associations of Mediterranean Diet Adherence with Cardiometabolic Outcomes, Psychological Symptoms, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adults Attending Primary Care Centres in Navarra, Spain: A Cross-Sectional Study.. Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18193156