Healthy Resolutions: These nutrition tips bring the most benefits

Eating healthily - how much does it actually help?

Plenty of fruits and vegetables, few processed foods, and sugar are the common recommendations from nutritionists and experts. The positive effects on our health that a healthy diet has are proven time and time again by numerous studies. But how significant are the effects of a healthy diet really? After all, it is not always easy for consumers to cook for themselves, and processed foods and sweets are often an attractive option in a busy daily life. Are we suffering in vain and could we not rather enjoy our years a bit more? What are the benefits of a healthy diet?

10 years - that is the answer from nutrition scientists

A recently published study from the University of Bergen in Norway shows that a healthy diet can positively influence life expectancy and extend life by about 10 years. Using a meta-analysis, including the results of the "Global Burden of Diseases" study (published in the prestigious PLoS Journal, 2019), which documented the diseases and causes of death of millions of people worldwide, the scientists have now developed a kind of nutrition calculator that demonstrates which dietary changes can positively impact life expectancy. Their findings:

• A shift away from red meat and processed food (typical Western diet) towards more vegetables, nuts, and whole grains had the greatest impact on health and lifespan.

• Positive effects were also observed for fish and fruit, but these are already often included in the typical Western diet, so the change is less significant compared to other food groups.

Years of life gained by reducing red and processed meat intake and increasing consumption of vegetables, nuts, and whole grains:

• With a dietary change at the age of 20, women gain an additional 10.7 healthy years, while men gain as much as 13 years.

• With a dietary change at the age of 60, women gain 8 healthy years, men gain 8.8 years.

• With a dietary change at the age of 80, women and men gain an additional 3.4 healthy years of life.

The results clearly show that there are substantial benefits for people with a previously typical Western diet of any age to change their eating habits. In general, the earlier a dietary change is made, the more healthy years of life can be gained. However, even a single change, such as eating less red meat, makes a significant contribution.