Can You Add Years To Your Life?
Apparently you can simply by changing your diet according to a massive study 😀
We have a choice: to eat foods that we’re told are good for us, or seek out familiar comforting foods. Make no mistake those choices are not always easier but research shows eating healthier foods can have considerable health benefits – especially in the long run.
A new study analyzing food intake data and health outcomes of nearly half a million UK residents has found that switching to a healthy diet – and sticking to it – can add up to 10 years to your life.
Great news!
The researchers grouped participants based on their eating patterns, and noted how they shifted over time. They identified average and unhealthy eaters, as well as people whose food intake matched the UK’s Eatwell Guide and others who consumed a diet the researchers described as the longevity diet
If you have watched the Netflix documentary on The Blue Zones you will know that the people who live in the specific countries known for longevity all follow what can best be described as a longevity diet based pretty much on the Mediterranean Diet
the researchers found men and women aged 40 who made a sustained change from eating unhealthily to following the Eatwell Guide recommendations gained roughly 9 years in life expectancy.
Those who ditched sugary drinks and processed meats in favor of a diet rich in whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and moderate amounts of fish (the so-called longevity diet) added an extra 10 years to their life expectancy.
Smaller life expectancy gains were seen among people who ate an average diet to begin with, and those who improved their eating habits later in life
“The bigger the changes made towards healthier dietary patterns, the larger the expected gains in life expectancy are,” the team explains in their published paper.
“Unsurprisingly, predicted gains in life expectancy are lower when the dietary change is initiated at older ages, but these remain substantial.”
People aged 70 years old could still extend their life expectancy by around 4 to 5 years if they made a sustained change to eating healthily, either in accordance with the Eatwell Guide or the ‘longevity diet’, the researchers found.
At 68 and 70 ourselves we plan to be extending our lives beyond 5 and have over the past years adapted our diet and supplements to ensure we’re eating as healthily as possible and still enjoying life
“This work is important as it demonstrates that its never too late to make small and sustained changes towards a healthier diet.”
Other studies before this have shown how various healthy eating patterns mirroring dietary guidelines are linked to a lower risk of early death among US citizens.
While this new analysis looks at the UK, expanding the geographical range of such studies, the same caveats apply as with any population-level data
The researchers acknowledge that while their analysis looked at sustained dietary changes, "maintaining lifestyle changes over time with dietary improvements can be challenging"
We would certainly agree with that as any changes require a mindset shift
The study has been published in Nature Food.
From a personal perspective, we consider we eat a pretty healthy diet and like what we like but the truth is that we do probably eat far to much processed food (we used to I hasten to add) because we've become conditioned to it like Pavlov's dogs 🤣 but small incremental changes are possible and we can honestly say our health and fitness has definitely benefitted from changing our approach to what we eat and how we eat and enjoying the taste of food we took for granted before...
And like those who have lived the longest to date in the blue zones we do like a glass of wine with our food!
But the very best advice passed down from our parents is "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"
Strange but true!
And if your diet is lacking in important nutrients and vitamins you should consider taking quality natural supplements such as Omega 3 which Chris and I take every day
OmMega is a sustainably sourced, lavender-infused fish oil that features a 5:1 ratio of EPA to DHA scientifically shown to support mental wellness. OmMega is infused with a premium lavender oil to remedy the typical fishy taste, smell and those dreaded “fish burps.” The purity from consistent sourcing and manufacturing processes results in a nearly pure, water-like appearance — drastically different from the typical yellow, orange and/or tinted fish oils on the market, which are less pure.
The scientific validation of health benefits provided from omega-3s — from fish oil specifically — are well established. Omega-3s are one of the most researched and proven supplements available today, but there are drastically different levels of purity, quality and effectiveness on the market.*
Amare’s OmMega is different than the rest and the best choice for both targeted mental wellness and general health benefits.
Do let us know your thoughts on adding life to your years and share what you're doing to make it happen