Washington Post Reports:
Quick Summary
No matter how old you are, or how much junk food you consume, it’s never too late to start undoing the damage caused by a poor diet.
Scientists have found that people can gain sizable health benefits at any age by cutting back on highly processed foods loaded with salt, sugar and other additives and replacing them with more nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, lentils, seafood and whole grains.
Key Points
- Following a healthy diet from a young age leads to the greatest gains in life expectancy.
- Even people who wait until middle age or later to improve their eating habits still can add years to their lives.
- Even small changes, like adding a handful of nuts to your daily diet as a midday snack and cutting back on processed meats like ham and hot dogs can potentially add years to your life.
The article states:
Most of the participants in the study of about 74,000 people were over 60 years old, demonstrating that it’s never too late to benefit from an improvement in your eating habits. The reductions in mortality among people who improved their eating habits largely stemmed from a decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease, which is strongly influenced by diet. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.