How to live longer: The one vegetable that could help increase your life expectancy

How to live longer is a question many people want to know the answer to, and research has demonstrated how following the right diet and eating the right foods can increase life expectancy. While some foods high in saturated fat and sugar should be avoided, other foods like leafy green vegetables have been given the thumbs up. One leafy green vegetable you should consider adding to your diet is broccoli.

Vegetables such as broccoli are packed with nutrients and help protect against heart disease and cancer

This is the recommendation by medical consultant Dr Sarah Brewer and dietician Juliette Kellow in their book ‘Eat Better Live Longer’.

They write: “People who live long lives need no encouragement to ‘eat their greens’.

Vegetables such as broccoli are packed with nutrients and help protect against heart disease and cancer.

“Broccoli is a great all-rounder, providing vitamins C and E, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin.”

Other examples of leafy green vegetables they recommend are spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts and Swiss chard.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels puts and kale, and leaves such as spinach, Swiss chard and lettuce are labelled the “ultimate health promoters”

The pair say: “Unsurprisingly, a large Chinese study found adults who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had a 22 per cent reduced risk of dying from any medical cause.”

While there’s no currently no cure for cancer, and research is being carried out to find out the cause, studied have confirmed higher intakes cruciferous vegetables are linked to a lower risk of many cancers, including those in the bladder, breast, bowel, stomach, lungs, ovaries, pancreas, prostate and kidneys.

The duo explain: “These green vegetables are rich in unique compounds called glucosinolates, which break down to form cancer-busting compounds, and are packed with cancer-fighting flavonoids and carotenoids.”

But diet isn’t the only thing which has been found to boost longevity.

Exercise has also been found to be an effective way to add years onto your life.

The NHS says in order to stay healthy or to improve health, adults need to do two types of physical activity each week – aerobic and strength exercises.

Its recommendations include:

At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or brisk walking every week and strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles.

Or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity such as running or a game of singles tennis every week and strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles.

Or a mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week – for example, 2 x 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of brisk walking equates to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles.

A study published this week suggested a simple exercise can help you live longer. 

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