Eating a healthy, balanced diet – which includes at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day – could lower the risk of an early death, according to the NHS.
It’s also crucial to do plenty of exercise. All UK adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise every week.
Making some small dietary or lifestyle changes could go a long way to lowering your chances of an early death.
Leafy green vegetables are a great food to eat to boost your life expectancy, nutritionists have revealed.
Leafy greens could help you to live longer as they can boost heart health, revealed dietitian Juliette Kellow and nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer.
They could also lower the chances of developing a number of cancers, including breast and bowel cancer.
Everyone should aim to eat at least three to four servings of leafy green vegetables every week.
“People who live long lives need no encouragement to ‘eat their greens’,” they said, in their book ‘Eat Better Live Longer – Understand What Your Body Needs To Stay Healthy’.
“Vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and spinach are packed with nutrients and help protect against heart disease and cancer.
“These commonly eaten leafy greens provide a spectrum of nutrients. Eat three to four servings a week.”
The vegetables contain potassium, which lowers blood pressure, they said.
They’re also rich in fibre, which helps the body to control cholesterol, and folate, which protects against heart disease.
Leafy greens contain chemicals called glucosinolates, which break down to form cancer-fighting compounds.
Regularly eating the vegetables has been linked to an 18 per cent lower risk of developing bowel cancer.
“Many of the antioxidants typically found in leafy greens – vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin – help to slow the progression of eye conditions, such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma.”
Broccoli is one of the best vegetable sources of vitamin E, which helps to support the immune system.
Similarly, Brussels sprouts are packed full of vitamin C, which keeps lungs healthy.
If you decide to buy more leafy green vegetables, avoid buying fresh-pre-pared vegetables, as they start losing vitamin C once they’ve been cut.
For the most nutritious vegetables, eat them raw or stir-fry quickly, they said.
“Eat the dark, outer leaves as they are rich in nutrients,” said the nutritionists.
