Eating a hot dog cuts your life expectancy by 36 minutes, according to a University of Michigan study. Conversely, nibbling a handful of nuts gives you 26 minutes of healthy life.
We know that for optimal health, we need to eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day (3 vegetables and 2 fruits is even better!) But there are also foods that should be avoided if we do not eat. does not want to reduce his life expectancy. The ancients spoke of “digging his grave with his teeth”, an expression which must have inspired researchers at the University of Michigan (United States) who have made the list of foods which have a negative impact on our life expectancy.
For this study published in the journal Nature Food, the American researchers calculated the impact in minutes on the life expectancy of more than 5,800 foods frequently consumed in the United States. Thus, they calculated that a simple hot-dof decreased life expectancy by 36 minutes, while a handful of nuts increased it by 22 minutes. They also claim that a plate of “corned beef” served with a tomato-onion sauce reduced the life expectancy of 71 years whereas if you put sardines with a tomato sauce on this same plate, you gain 92 minutes of life expectancy. With this study, researchers intend to show that small changes in our diet can have big effects on health.
5 years gained with Omega-3
A few weeks ago, another study, conducted by the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (in Spain), insisted on foods that, on the contrary, increase our life expectancy. They particularly insisted on omega-3 because, according to the researchers, these essential fatty acids extend our life expectancy by about 5 years.
To reach this conclusion, the Spanish researchers worked with a group of 2,240 volunteers aged 65 and over, who were followed for 11 years. Results ? Scientists found that participants with the highest levels of omega-3s in their blood lived (on average) 4.7 years longer than others.
“Being a regular smoker reduces life expectancy by around 5 years: 5 years can be regained by consuming more omega-3s on a daily basis.“note the researchers, who have published their work in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The ideal being (of course) to fill up on omega-3s and stop smoking …
As a reminder, the best sources of omega-3 are small oily fish (sardines, mackerel, herring and anchovies), chia and flax seeds, rapeseed oil or even walnuts. “Making small changes in your eating habits can have a major impact on health and life expectancy: it is never too late to change your lifestyle.“emphasize the scientists.
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