Mediterranean diet boosts protective proteins from mitochondria

The proteins in question are humanin and SHMOOSE, both classified as mitokines: signalling molecules that mitochondria produce and release into the bloodstream. The study found that older adults who ate more olive oil, fish, and legumes while limiting refined carbohydrates had higher levels of both proteins. Earlier research linked humanin and SHMOOSE to protection against cardiovascular disease and better cognitive function in older age.

Mitochondria as a signalling hub

Mitochondria have long been seen as the cell’s power plants. Research over the past decade has shown they also actively send chemical signals into circulation. Mitokines (proteins secreted by mitochondria in response to environmental stimuli) represent a relatively new area of investigation. Diet appears to influence their production, though the exact mechanism is not yet fully understood.

In this study, older participants were scored on how closely they followed a Mediterranean dietary pattern. Those scores correlated with blood levels of humanin and SHMOOSE. Olive oil, fish, and legumes emerged as the most influential dietary components.

Promise and limitations

The research is observational: it identifies an association, not a causal relationship. People who follow a Mediterranean diet differ from those who do not in many other ways. Whether the proteins rise because the diet stimulates mitochondria, or because healthier individuals simply tend to eat more vegetables, cannot be determined from this type of study.

Even so, the finding is relevant for ageing science. If diet genuinely influences mitochondrial signalling in ways that protect the heart and brain, it opens the door to more personalised nutrition guidance based on measurable biological markers.

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