Whenever hunger or appetite strikes, we have a choice. Either you eat foods that are known to be good for you, or you look for comfort foods. Although these choices are not easy or always possible, research shows that eating healthier foods can have considerable health benefits, especially in the long term. I am.
A new study that analyzed the food intake data and health outcomes of almost 500,000 UK residents has found that switching to a healthier diet and sticking to it could add up to 10 years to your life. Great news! If you can afford it.
A research team led by Lars Fadnes, a public health researcher at the University of Bergen in Norway, modeled the life expectancy of approximately 467,354 people whose eating habits were recorded as part of a long-term diet. UK Biobank Research started in 2006.
The researchers grouped participants based on their dietary patterns and looked at how they changed over time. They identified average, unhealthy eaters and those whose dietary intakes were consistent with the UK. Eatwell guide Some people ate what researchers called a “longevity diet.”
After adjusting for smoking, alcohol, and physical activity, researchers found that 40-year-old men and women who made a sustained change from an unhealthy diet to following the EatWell Guide’s recommendations gained about nine years in life expectancy. did.
People who cut out sugary drinks and processed meats in favor of a diet rich in whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and moderate amounts of fish (so-called longevity diets) lived an additional 10 years.
Life expectancy gains were smaller among people who started out eating average diets and those who improved their eating habits later in life.
“The greater the change to healthier dietary patterns, the greater the expected increase in lifespan,” the researchers said. Explained in a published paper.
“Of course, if you start changing your diet at an older age, the predicted increase in life expectancy is lower, but still significant.”
Researchers have found that even people in their 70s can extend their life expectancy by about 4 to 5 years if they continue to make healthy dietary changes by following the Eatwell Guide or the Longevity Diet. discovered.
“It’s interesting, but not surprising, that there are significant health benefits from changing your diet,” Deakin University population nutrition researcher and study author Katherine Livingstone told ScienceAlert. .
“This study is important proof that it’s never too late to make small, lasting changes to a healthier diet.”
Other previous studies have shown how various healthy eating patterns that reflect dietary guidelines are associated with a lower risk of premature death in the U.S. population.
Although this new analysis focuses on the UK and expands the geographical scope of such studies, the same caveats apply as with other population-level data.
For example, the UK Biobank does not measure rice consumption, which is particularly important for many immigrant groups, so the results may not be generalizable to everyone.
The UK Biobank data pool describes people who are predominantly white, European, and from middle to upper class socio-economic backgrounds.
Researchers also admit Although their analysis focuses on sustainable dietary changes, they note that “lifestyle changes through dietary improvements can be difficult to maintain over time, and for many people eating patterns change over time.” It changes over time.”
For others, the challenge is not motivation but access. Health officials may encourage people to eat healthy, but access to affordable and nutritious food is a systemic problem, a public health issue, and government policy There is a possibility that it can be resolved.
Researchers highlight the role of food taxes and subsidies, which aim to make healthy foods more affordable than unhealthy options. A 2017 study estimated that policies that tax unhealthy items like sugary drinks and subsidize healthy options could save 60,000 lives each year in the United States. .
Improving the food environment in schools and workplaces by removing vending machines and offering healthier options can make a huge difference to people’s health, as well as the planet.
This research natural food.
