Opting for legumes and vegetables over red meat and processed foods can add years to your life expectancy, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Medicine magazine.
A 60-year-old woman who focuses on a healthier diet can increase her life expectancy by eight years, while a man of the same age can add nine years to his life, the study showed.
The study built a model of what would happen if participants replaced a “typical Western diet” that includes red meat and processed foods with a diet consisting of fruits and whole grains.
If a woman at the age of 20 followed the diet of fruits and vegetables, she would add 10 years to her life. Whereas a 20-year-old man on the same healthy diet could add 13 years to his life.
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Researchers from Norway created the study using data from the Global Burden of Disease study, a database that tracks 286 causes of death, 369 illnesses and injuries, and 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories around the world.
“The notion that improving diet quality would reduce the risk of chronic disease and premature death is long established, and it stands to reason that fewer chronic diseases and premature deaths mean longer life expectancy,” said Dr. David Katz, specialist in preventive medicine. and lifestyle medicine and nutrition, said CNN.
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The study found that the greatest impact on life expectancy was on a diet of beans, peas and lentils, whole grains, walnuts, almonds, walnuts and pistachios. A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. showed that sticking to a healthier diet is difficult for most Americans.
The CDC study found that only 12% of adults consume the recommended 1½ to 2 cups of fruit per day. While about 10% of Americans eat the recommended 2-3 cups of vegetables per day, including legumes.
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