Foods that reduce the risk of premature death, according to a Harvard study

The benefits of good nutrition have more and more scientific confirmations. The novelty is a study by Harvard University which certainly establishes it habits Poor eating habits are among the leading causes of premature death worldwide. Instead a correct diet eliminates the risk of disease.

The results of this extensive survey established that those who followed healthy eating patterns were less likely to die of NCDs at an early age than others who did not.

To do this, they followed health data collected over 46 years on more than 100,000 people.

A note from the Medical News Today site points out that a survey begun in 1976 of a group of nurses and another begun in 1986 following male health professionals aged 40 to 75 were used for this.

Participants had no history of previous illness or disease.

On this initial basis, every two to four years, each completed questionnaires on the frequency of intake of more than 130 foods.

They also updated information on their age, weight, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, smoking status, multivitamin use, menopausal status, and possible diagnoses.

Diet and better life prospects

The results: people who based their diet on a wide variety of vegetables and no processed products had better overall health.

In this regard, dietician Kate Cohen, who was not involved in the research, told Medical News Today: “We know that between half and two-thirds of cancers can be prevented through dietary and lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy weight, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, limiting alcohol, and increasing dietary fiber.”.

These parameters have also been associated with a lower risk of mortality from neurodegenerative diseases.

Another important point Cohen made: “Healthy fats — found in olive oil, nuts and some fish — may provide an anti-inflammatory benefit and contribute to a healthy brain.”