Centenarian reveals SURPRISE drink that helps her live longer
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Diet is believed to be one of the main factors accounting for the difference in expected lifespans around the world. Researchers have therefore amped up efforts to identify which foods offer the most potent life-prolonging effects. It’s been established that diets rich in fish, olive oils, vegetables, nuts and seeds could reduce the risk of early death. Flaxseed may be beneficial too, helping stave off cancer and heart disease.
Flaxseeds are touted for their high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, which contribute hugely to the resolution of inflammation throughout the body.
Omega-3 fatty acids are key fatty acids that contribute to the formation of cell membranes.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2021, the nutrient could add years to one’s life.
The researchers came to this conclusion after tracking 2,240 participants for 12 years and analysing levels of the fatty acids in participants’ blood.
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The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to estimate survival proportions by age, given different risk profiles.
Analyses revealed that individuals with high omega-3 levels in their blood who did not smoke had the highest survival estimates.
Interestingly, people with high omega-3 who did smoke and those with low omega-3 who did not smoke had the same survival estimates.
Those with the lowest omega-3 levels who did smoke, on the other hand, had the lowest survival estimates.
Doctor William S. Harris, told Medical News Today: “Knowing a person’s omega-3 index is just as important than knowing a person’s cholesterol levels or blood pressure, and ‘fixing’ the omega-3 index is much easier than treating all those other risk factors.”
Although flaxseed is classified as an omega-3, it has additional health benefits.
One study which looked at 59 people, set out to compare the effects of safflower oil to those of flaxseed oil on heart health.
Flaxseed oil is derived from dried seeds of the flax plant, which have well-known benefits to cardiovascular health.
The findings of the study appeared to suggest that supplementing one tablespoon of flaxseed oil for 12 weeks significantly lowered blood pressure, compared to safflower oil.
This is important because blood pressure is a precursor for a host of cardiovascular complications including heart attack and stroke.
It’s been suggested that flaxseed may lower hypertension by enhancing the elasticity of the blood vessels.
What’s more, it may also reduce bad cholesterol levels and inhibit tumour growth.
The MD Anderson Cancer Centre, added: “Some studies have shown that consuming 25 grams of flaxseed a day may reduce tumour growth in breast and prostate cancer.
“It can also reduce the body’s production, so its benefits have been linked to breast cancer prevention.”
The seed has been shown to enhance the effect on some drugs used to prevent breast cancer recurrence.
By tackling both disease markers, flaxseed could help add years of disease-free life to one’s lifespan.
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