Nutrition experts have given two top eating tips to help people lead a long life - and they are to add two cheap and readily available foods to your diet. The humble apple is one such suggestion, and can really help cholesterol, leading to reducing the risk of heart disease due to minerals and vitamins found in it. And adding wholegrains can have a huge impact on areas including blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and also work to prevent diabetes, cancers and obesity. A study of 8,000 adults published that looked at hospital and doctor appointments by apple-eaters and non-apple eaters did find that people who ate at least one a day were slightly less likely to visit a GP.
The old rhyme of an apple a day keeping the doctor away does have some basis in fact - they contain less vitamin C than oranges but more fibre than melons and twice as much as pears. A key benefit of apples comes from the pectin - a type of fibre which is found in the skin and cord. Pectin, also found in pears and plums, has been shown in studies, including a review in the journal Clinical Nutrition, to improve blood cholesterol levels. That will help to reduce the risk of heart disease. Wholegrains as well are incredibly important to improve health, according to the experts. By these they mean quinoa, bulgur, rye, oats, spelt and buckwheat, providing key fibre. The bran and inner germ of wholegrains are packed with B vitamins, antioxidants and small amounts of healthy fats. Daily consumption of them is linked to better gut and heart health and the prevention of diabetes, cancers and obesity, yet 95 per cent of UK adults don’t eat enough.
Consuming at least 50g of wholegrains — a slice of wholegrain or rye bread plus a dish of porridge — was shown to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 34 per cent for men and 22 per cent for women compared with those with low intakes in a 15-year study of more than 55,000 people. And researchers found that midlifers who ate at least three servings of wholegrains daily — one serving being a dish of porridge, a slice of wholemeal bread or a portion of brown rice or quinoa — had smaller increases in waist size, blood pressure and blood sugar levels than those who ate less than half a daily serving.
Adapted from: GL
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