Nutrition: what will add ten years to life

Lifestyle and what we eat affect the condition of our body as a whole. A study analyzing the diets of almost half a million Brits found that those who consistently eat healthy could extend their lives by 10 years.

Experts took data on the lifestyle and health of volunteers from the UK Biobank medical database. They divided the study participants into categories based on their eating habits, how they changed over time, and what impact they ultimately had on their health.

The researchers found that those who followed a “Western” diet but changed their habits in their 40s and began eating healthier foods (such as following a Mediterranean diet) lived 8.9 years (men) and 8.6 years (women). ) years longer than those who continued to eat dry meat, hamburgers and semi-finished products after 40 years.

The volunteers who participated in the experiment They didn’t completely eliminate unhealthy foods (burgers, French fries), but they ate them rarely.

Men who gave up sugary drinks and processed meats extended their lives by 10.8 years, and women by 10.4.

Participants replaced fatty foods with dietary ones, bread with whole grains, and also began to consume more fruits, vegetables and nuts.

The benefits for study participants who changed their diet around age 70 were smaller, but still significant. Men who avoided junk food increased their life expectancy by 5.4 years, and women by five years.

“Our study shows that better diet quality is associated with better life expectancy,” said lead researcher Dr. Lars Fadnes, professor of nutrition at the University of Bergen in Norway.

“The benefits of switching to a healthy diet in older age are less pronounced, but they are there, and they are very important. Therefore, it is never too late to change our eating habits and protect our health,” he concluded. The results were published in the scientific journal Nature Food.

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