The more development there is in a country, it will have a correlate in the longevity of its inhabitants, so the constant improvements at the beginning of the century in terms of the implementation of basic services such as sewerage and drinking water, added to the significant advances in science, Pharmaceuticals and medical care have allowed longevity to increase exponentially and rapidly in some countries.
But poor health trends (poor diet, poor sleep habits, and sedentary lifestyle in some Western countries have caused life expectancy to decline in recent years.
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Avoiding unhealthy foods from the diet has long been considered the most sensible approach to optimal health.
However, a new study has identified three foods that could deliver significant gains when added to the diet. When combined, these dietary changes can add a decade to life expectancy.
The new study, led by Lars Fadnes of the University of Bergenin Norway, used existing meta-analyses and data from the Global Burden of Disease Study, to build a model for construct an instant estimate of life expectancy, based on certain dietary changes.
The findings, published in the medical journal PLOS Medicineestablished that younger adults could add a decade to their lives by making certain changes.
In older people, changes in diet brought minor changes in life expectancy, which were still significant.
The findings suggested that for young adults in the US, a sustained switch from a typical Western diet to an optimal diet at age 20 years would increase life expectancy by more than 10 years for women and men.
The largest gains in life expectancy were seen among women and men who ate plus legumes, whole grains and nuts.
but eat less red and processed meat also led to significant improvements.
The researchers also noted that making these dietary changes at age 60 it could add eight years to life expectancy for women and 8.8 years for men.
Furthermore, when these dietary changes were adopted at the age of 80 yearsboth men and women experienced a average increase in life expectancy of 3.4 years.
The study authors noted: “Understanding the relative health potential of different food groups could enable people to make significant health gains without fear.
«The calculators Food4HealthLife could be a useful tool for clinicians, policymakers and laymen to understand the health impact of dietary choices.»
Fadners added:
“Research so far has shown health benefits associated with four separate foods or specific dietary patterns, but provides limited information on the health impact of other dietary changes. Our modeling methodology has closed this gap.»
Legumes are promoted as a healthy alternative to grains and meats due to their protein, fiber, iron, and potassium.
Furthermore, previous research had established that to eat walnuts as a snack seven times a week could reduce the risk of dying from all causes.
The qualities protectors of the heart of foods have been attributed to their high concentrations of unsaturated fats, protein, fiber and essential micronutrients, such as folic acid, calcium, niacin, magnesium and potassium.
Its fat content, which comes in the form of phytosterols, is very beneficial to also help reduce cholesterol levels.
Finally, the whole grains they are strongly associated with longevity because they lower «bad» cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, three major markers of disease.
In recent years, the focus of longevity research has shifted from prolonging life to improving quality of life to the end, and the three dietary changes mentioned above could help prevent health problems.
There is increasing evidence that Antioxidant-rich foods, which are abundant in fruits and vegetables, may also slow cell degeneration.
A significant quality attributed to these foods is their anti-inflammatory activitywhich lowers the risk of certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease.