Our generation has been conditioned to believe that there is little we can do to stop the ageing process.
But there is growing evidence, as we report regularly in The Donaldson Sisters, that there is much we can do to slow that decline.
Now new research has found lifestyle changes as late as age 80 could add years to a person’s life.
A study published in PLOS Medicine on 8 February by researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway estimates that life expectancy can increase by up to ten years through diet modifications.
The researchers found simple lifestyle changes at age 60 could see a person add almost 10 years to their life, while making healthy adjustments at 80 could add an extra three years to a person’s life.
The changes primarily include a healthy diet, which means cutting out processed food; this can include breakfast cereals, cheese, tinned vegetables, bread, savoury snacks such as potato chips, sausage rolls, pies and pasties, cakes and biscuits, and meat products such as bacon, sausage, ham, salami and paté.
“Those whole grains, legumes, and nuts – they really stood out as key foods and that sort of backs up what we have heard from other studies,” nutritional scientist Dr Joana McMillan said.
Other adjustments include napping less during the day, reducing your alcohol intake and being active.
Proof that it’s never too late to put the brakes on ageing.
