Foods that increase longevity and those that are best to limit in order to avoid getting sick

Eating is a source of nutrients, energy, and therefore sustenance, and yes, even pleasure.

But eating can even help fight diseases and support longevity. As long as you include some foods in your diet in a balanced way and reduce others.

A very recent scientific study published by an Italian and Norwegian team in the journal Advances in Nutrition [1] helps to clarify, showing which categories of foods increase longevity and which ones, if eaten in abundance and regularly, can increase the risk of disease.

The study is the result of a vast work of analysis and comparison of 41 previously performed studies. Here is what emerged.

1 Foods that increase longevity

A high consumption of the following categories of foods is associated with an increase in longevity and a reduction in the risk of developing diseases with an unfortunate outcome, compared to those who consume less of these foods:

• Nuts. It doesn't matter what type of nuts, they are all equally beneficial
• Whole grains, without a particular preference for specific types of grains. All are good for you, as long as they are whole
• Fruit, with a special mention for berries and citrus fruits
• Vegetables, with a special mention for green leafy vegetables and tomatoes
• Fish

These categories group together the foods that more than others have proven to be the elixir of long life.

This is thanks to their richness in good fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. These compounds are capable of reducing inflammation, supporting the immune system, improving the health of the endothelium, which is the internal lining of blood vessels and the heart, increasing metabolic health, which is the body's ability to maintain normal levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and fat, thus preventing disease.

A beneficial action, albeit to a lesser extent, was also observed for the following food categories:

• Legumes
• White meat

2 Foods to watch out for

Some food categories should be limited as their high consumption can increase the risk of getting sick. Here are these foods:

• Red meat
• Processed meat
• Sugary drinks
• Refined cereals

High quantities of saturated fatty acids, which meat is rich in, and sugars are associated with inflammation, insulin resistance and oxidative stress, which are at the basis of the development of various diseases.

Some food categories have shown unclear results, including dairy products, eggs and refined cereals. The difficulty in understanding their impact on health is probably due to the fact that scientists have grouped these foods into general categories and have not analyzed the foods in detail, specifying for example whether they are milk, cheese or yogurt, or the dose of intake.

In support of this, we can cite several studies that indicate that yogurt is protective for health and anti-inflammatory [2][3]. While milk consumed in high quantities can increase the risk of inflammation and disease [4].

The same goes for eggs. More and more studies indicate that eggs are not to be demonized but to be included in moderation in one's diet, since they are nutritious, provide proteins of high biological value and vitamin B12 [5].

3 Comment

The study is very interesting as it brings order to the vast picture that represents the link between health and nutrition.

Much of what we have seen today is not a surprise, we already knew that some categories of foods are particularly useful in supporting longevity and others are less so, if not even harmful.

The merit of the research is to have made this information simpler and clearer.

It must be said, however, that further work will need to be done to shed light on those categories of foods that are more in doubt, such as dairy products and eggs. In these cases, it will be necessary to go into detail, specifying the type of dairy product and the dosage.