07 March, 2013

By VIVA Team

You can live the good life for longer in Spain

Barely a week after scientists ‘discovered’ that a Mediterranean diet is great for longevity, results of a five-year study by medical bible The Lancet have shown that Spaniards live the longest healthy lives in Europe.

The difference in average lifespans across Europe’s most developed nations is negligible, but the average Spaniard enjoys 70.9 years of healthy living, topping the charts ahead of Italy (on 70.2 years), Australia (70.1 years) and Sweden (69.9 years). The UK, meanwhile, languished in a lowly 12th place – the average Brit can expect to lead a life of 68.6 healthy years…

The study by The Lancet compared health data for the past 20 years, and cross-referenced it with 18 countries to achieve the rankings. Factors such as diet, climate, access to healthcare and lifestyle were all taken into account.

Spain’s healthcare system is one of the best in the world, and its Mediterranean diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, nuts and lashings of olive oil means that Spaniards suffer from lower rates of heart disease and cholesterol than most other nations.

Italy ran Spain close, but it is thought that Spain’s slightly more stable climate and safer roads mean that the country clung on to top spot.

So there you have it: empirical proof that Spain is good for you. But be warned – simply moving to Spain won’t magically make you live longer; you have to adopt the Spanish way if you want to totter on into a ripe old age…