It’s arguably the healthiest diet in the world. The Mediterranean diet – which emphasizes fruit and vegetables, grains, nuts and olive oil – is recognized as the gold standard for promoting good health.

The diet helps guard against heart disease, certain cancers, obesity, diabetes, asthma, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. And it’s been shown to increase life expectancy.

Now, after reviewing 50 studies conducted on more than 500,000 people, researchers say the diet substantially lowers the risk of metabolic syndrome and is highly protective against all the risk factors that cause the disorder.

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A drug to treat diabetes, Actos, would be a “sensible alternative” to one which was banned last year, researchers have said.

Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone, was suspended by authorities in Europe, but is still available in the United States and Canada.

The study published on the BMJ website said patients taking Actos had fewer heart problems.

Diabetes UK said Actos was a very effective treatment.

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Whether you’re training for your first 5K race or your umpteenth half-marathon, or if you’re simply wanting to shed that winter weight, it’s important to develop an eating strategy that will help you run your best.

Poor eating habits – even seemingly small mistakes – can sabotage your running and undermine your diet, too. To get into peak running form, it’s important to watch for – and avoid – these common diet blunders.

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If you usually enjoy an appetizer before your main course, you might want to rethink your order.

Consider that most starters at full-service restaurant chains deliver at least 500 calories, and many clock in at over 1,000. Add a main course and a drink and you’ll be lucky to walk out for less than 2,000 calories.

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Kylie Minogue has told an Australian TV programme about her “rotten, dark moments” after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005.

The 42-year-old broke down in tears as she told the Sunday Night programme about how she coped with the disease.

Kylie Minogue celebrated five years of being given the all-clear at the end of February.

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A 45-minute catnap helps lower blood pressure, American researchers reported last week. They said a daytime snooze could improve heart health, particularly if you’re not getting as much sleep as you should at night.

This follows a recent six-year Greek study which found that people who took a 30-minute siesta at least three times a week appeared to have a 37 per cent lower risk of heart-related death.

The theory is that napping, by encouraging you to relax, reduces blood pressure.

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To perk you up or calm you down, nothing fits the bill better than a refreshing cuppa. But with so many different types promising health benefits, which one should you choose?

BEST FOR SKIN: WHITE

White tea — which is made from only the delicate buds of the tea plant — has the highest levels of antioxidants, which protect against harmful free radicals. Researchers from Kingston University in Surrey found white tea also had high amounts of substances that protect elastin and collagen, proteins in our skin that maintain skin elasticity.

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Most of us suffer from moments of memory loss — walking into a room and forgetting what you were looking for or grasping for the name of the person you have just bumped into on the street.

You could be suffering from brain anaemia, according to psychologist Jane G. Goldman.

She’s not talking about the nutritional condition caused by a lack of iron: she means a lack of new experiences and mental challenges that the brain needs to keep it in tip-top condition.

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If you’re eyeing up your breakfast options and fancy going to work on an egg, there’s no need to hold back.

For after years of telling us to shun them as an everyday food, the health police now say that eggs have become better for us.

The cholesterol content of eggs – which was previously believed to be a health risk – is now much lower compared with ten years ago, a study suggests.

Eggs also contain more vitamin D, which helps protect the bones, preventing diseases such as osteoporosis and rickets.

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Sleep problems are not just tiring and frustrating, they can also cause health problems, raising the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a study recently published in the European Heart Journal.

So what are the causes of nightmares, teeth-grinding, restlessness and early waking? There are 89 different sleep disorders.

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