Eating a healthy balanced diet – including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day – could lower the risk of an early death, according to the NHS.
Regular exercise could also help to boost your lifespan. All UK adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of activity every week.
You could increase your life expectancy and avoid an early death by making some diet changes.
Using olive oil could help you to live longer, as well as lower your risk of heart disease, it’s been claimed.
Heart disease is one of the major causes of death in the UK and around the world.
It’s caused by the heart’s blood supply suddenly becoming blocked by a build-up of fatty deposits – cholesterol – in the arteries.
Olive oil could boost your heart’s overall health, as well as reduce blood cholesterol, said dietician Juliette Kellow and nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer.
“Blood is the body’s life force, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells and removing waste, and the heart is the pump that keeps blood flowing,” they said, in their book ‘Eat Better Live Longer – Understand What Your Body Needs To Stay Healthy’.
“Any disruption to the flow can be life changing, but nutrition can help maintain heart health into old age.
“Olive oil is rich in monounsaturates, particularly oleic acid, which can lower blood cholesterol.
“Lab studies show that the polyphenols in olive oil, such as oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, may help to keep the heart healthy, thanks to their potent antioxidant powers.”
Olive oil is a major component of the Mediterranean diet, and has a number of health benefits, they said.
It could even help to protect against cancer, the nutritionists claimed.
People with the highest intakes of olive oil are 34 per cent less likely to develop any type of cancer – particularly breast cancer, they said.
Using the olive oil in cooking, or as a salad dressing, could lower the chances of a stroke by up to 41 per cent, they added.
Around 73,000 people die from coronary heart disease in the UK every year, said charity Heart UK.
The most common symptom of heart disease is chest pain, which is also known as angina.
But, heart attacks are also a warning sign of heart disease. Dial 999 and ask for an ambulance straight away if you suspect you may be having a heart attack.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is one of the best ways to lower your chances of heart disease, said the NHS.
It’s also crucial to cut back on the amount of salt in your diet. Everyone should aim to eat less than 6g of salt every day – the equivalent to about a teaspoonful.