A healthy diet can do wonders for one’s body. But eating with fitness in mind is different from eating for longevity. No one diet works for everyone, and finding what food to add is essential to living a long, healthy life. In this Bold guide, learn the best foods for longevity.
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Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are always perfect additions to any diet, especially with a longevity-related diet. They’re high-nutrient sources of healthy fats, plant protein, antioxidants, and minerals. In addition, they provide the body with dense calories for energy in replace of starch and fat-rich foods.
Seeds like flax, chia, and hemp have omega-3 fats and breast cancer-fighting lignans. Sesame seeds are rich in calcium and vitamin E, while pumpkin seeds provide zinc.
Nuts are often called nutritional powerhouses because they’re rich in numerous minerals and vitamins, including antioxidants and other compounds. In a 2013 study, researchers found that consuming at least three servings of nuts every week lowers the risk of premature death by 39%. Some studies highlighted how nuts can reduce heart diseases, high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes.
In addition, adding nuts to one’s diet helps in weight loss by suppressing the appetite with its heart-healthy components. Many nutritionists recommend eating seeds and nuts raw or slightly toasted. Doing these allows you to get maximum nutritional benefits.
Berries
Berries are some of the most antioxidant-rich fruits that people always add to any diet. Most berries, like raspberries, acai, blueberries, and goji, provide several vitamins and minerals, like vitamins A and C, manganese, iron, fiber, and potassium.
These fruits’ high antioxidant count prevents cell damage and overall health disease risks. Berries also help control blood sugar and reduce cancer cell formation and cataract buildup. In addition, a 2024 study found that a higher intake of flavonoids from berries can reduce mortality risks, giving people longer, healthier lives.
The health benefits of berries also extend to cardiometabolic and respiratory health. Adding berries to one’s diet lowers the risk of respiratory health issues and a healthier heart. Putting berries into morning meals, like yogurt, oatmeal, or muffins, can help you consume them daily without being tired of their flavors or textures.
Pulses
Pulses or legumes are always a must-have in any diet due to their numerous health benefits. Eating beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas can reduce the risk of several chronic diseases, especially type II diabetes and cancer. In addition, these foods provide anti-inflammatory antioxidants, such as magnesium and potassium, which many adults are short of.
Unlike some plants, pulses are rich in plant protein and are great replacements for animal protein, especially for vegetarians. Medical experts also recommend replacing meat with beans or lentils from their meals several times a week. The stomach also digests these foods slowly which helps blunt the rise of blood glucose after every meal and reduces food cravings.
Legume consumption helps stabilize blood sugar and protect the body against colon cancer. In a 2015 medical study on pulses, researchers found that beans, soybeans, and lentils have isoflavones that impact cancer initiation and progression. The study also highlighted that pulses have lignans that also prevent cancer cells from forming.
Mushrooms
Regular mushroom consumption is another food that can help with longevity. Eating dishes with mushrooms decreases the risks of high-mortality diseases like cancer, especially breast cancer. Mushrooms have aromatase inhibitors, compounds that restrain estrogen production.
Besides these inhibitors, they have many more beneficial properties. Some types of mushrooms have anti-inflammatory effects, enhance immune cell activity, and prevent DNA damage. In addition, they’re the best source of prebiotic fibers, which feed the good bacteria in the gut. A healthy gut regulates inflammation and improves immune function, which are necessary for healthy aging.
Medical experts note that people need to cook mushrooms before consumption. Raw mushrooms contain agaritine, a carcinogenic substance that could endanger one’s health. Including mushrooms in your diet is easy as there are many varieties in the market and cooking them in different ways helps with the taste.
Fatty Fish
Salmon, sardines, anchovies, and mackerel are the top protein choices for those undergoing a diet. Fatty fish are the best sources of omega-3 fats that help heart and brain health. Omega-3 fats lower triglycerides and reduce the risks of heart attacks and stroke. In addition, they improve brain function and aid in healthy brain aging.
Higher omega-3 fatty acids in one’s blood can increase life expectancy to about five years. Besides omega-3, fatty fish are good sources of other nutrients like selenium and vitamin D. These nutrients help reduce oxidative stress, age-related mental decline, and other chronic health issues. Unlike other proteins, they have lower mercury levels, which can impact the brain and nervous system.
Dark Leafy Greens and Cruciferous Vegetables
Vegetables are a staple in any healthy diet, but salad greens and cruciferous vegetables are essential to longevity diets. These vegetables can modify hormones, activate the body’s detoxification system, and prevent cancer cell growth and production.
Cruciferous vegetables are the most nutrient-dense, providing people with many minerals, vitamins, and other health-beneficial compounds. Dark, leafy greens are ideal for weight control. They contain less than 100 calories per pound; greater intake reduces stroke risks, heart attack, and diabetes. In addition, salad greens are rich with B-vitamin folate, lutein, and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that protect the eyes from light damage.
Vegetables like kale, collard greens, mustard greens, and lettuce are some of the best salad greens to add to your daily meals. Eating them in a salad helps maximize their benefits, and by using a dressing containing nuts and seeds, you can absorb the vegetables’ fat-soluble phytochemicals.
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