A study led by URV/IISPV shows that a diet rich in different plant and animal species is associated with longer life expectancy
Food biodiversity, understood as the variety of different species included in a person’s regular diet, may play a key role in preventing chronic diseases and promoting longevity. This is suggested by data from a recent study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, led by the Food, Nutrition, Development and Mental Health Research Group (ANUT-DSM) at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and the Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), as part of the PREDIMED project.
The study analyzed the eating habits and health parameters of more than 7,200 people aged between 60 and 80 years, all with high cardiovascular risk. Participants were followed for an average of six years. Using validated food questionnaires and advanced statistical tools, the research team assessed the number of different species consumed through a new indicator called Dietary Species Richness (DSR), which estimates the number of different plant and animal species included in a person’s usual diet. The researchers then evaluated mortality risk based on this indicator.
The results show that people who consumed a greater variety of species had a significantly lower risk of dying from any cause. Specifically, for each additional species regularly consumed, the overall mortality risk decreased by 9%, the risk of cardiovascular disease by 7%, and the risk of cancer by 8%.
According to Sangeetha Shyam, Miguel Servet researcher at IISPV and lead author of the study, “this research shows that it’s not only important what types of food we eat, but also how many different species we include in our diet. A more biodiverse diet is linked to better health and longer life.” The findings also indicate that the link between dietary biodiversity and mortality was independent of the nutritional quality of the participants’ diets. For example, not all individuals with high adherence to the Mediterranean diet had a highly diverse diet, and vice versa.
The mechanisms behind these associations are not yet fully understood, but researchers suggest that diets rich in a wide range of plant and/or animal species may provide a broader spectrum of nutrients and beneficial compounds, and may also support a healthier gut microbiota.
This study was made possible thanks to the collaboration of multiple institutions and researchers from the PREDIMED consortium. It was led by the Food, Nutrition, Development and Mental Health Research Group (ANUT-DSM) at URV, IISPV, and CIBERobn of the Instituto Carlos III.
Reference: Shyam S, Babio N, Paz-Graniel I, Martínez-González MA, Sorlí JV, Estruch R, Ros E, Tojal-Sierra L, Gómez-Gracia E, Fiol M, Lapetra J, Serra-Majem L, Riera-Mestre A, Toledo E, Ramirez-Sabio JB, Castañer O, Lamuela R, Margara-Escudero HJ, Fitó M, Salas-Salvadó J. Food biodiversity and mortality in older Mediterranean adults with high cardiovascular risk. Sci Total Environ. 2025 Jul 25;987:179807. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179807. Epub 2025 Jun 4. PMID: 40472794. Link to article
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