Jakarta –
It doesn’t matter how old you are, or how much junk food you eat, scientists think it’s never too late to start correcting bad eating habits. This is thought to affect longevity.
A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine followed about 74,000 people between the ages of 30 and 75 over two decades. During that time, they analyzed their diet and lifestyle habits and tracked any changes.
The researchers used several scoring systems to rate the quality of their diets, including the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, which was developed by nutrition experts at Harvard T.H. Chan, School of Public Health.
The index gives low scores for unhealthy foods and higher scores for healthy foods. Among the foods that scored high were fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, chickpeas, and foods rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, avocados, and olive oil.
Some of the unhealthy foods that score lower include red and processed meat and foods high in sodium and added sugar, such as sugary drinks, pizza, potato chips and other fast foods.
“People who increased their ‘high-scoring’ foods by about 20 percent over the course of the study had at least an 8 percent reduction in death during the study period and a 7 to 15 percent reduction in the likelihood of dying from heart disease,” said Mercedes Sotos-Pieto, a Harvard researcher.
Most of the participants in the study were over 60 years old. This means that it is never too late to benefit from improved eating habits.
Watch the video “Fadli Zon’s Diet Tips for Losing 32 Kg”
(his/her)
2023-07-30 05:01:31
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