Eating a healthy, balanced diet – including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day – could lower your risk of an early death, according to the NHS. You could also boost your lifespan by doing regular exercise. It’s the “miracle cure” we’ve all been waiting for, it said. Making some small diet or lifestyle changes could help to increase your life expectancy and avoid an early death. One of the best ways to protect against heart attacks is to regularly eat olive oil, it’s been claimed.
Olive oil has been deemed the oil to boost life longevity due to a 30-year study into eating habits, which has shown it to be the key to longevity.
A study of over 120,000 people carried out at Harvard University and published in the Journal, Journa Internal Medicine, found that people who have frequent servings of unsaturated fat, found in fish and vegetable oils, are about 20 per cent more likely to live longer.
Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist at Frimley Health NHS Foundation said: “A diet high in vegetables, olive oil, oily fish and nuts is most beneficial for heart health.”
The Mediterranean diet has always made liberal use of virgin olive oil, and many health and diet experts believe that can also contribute to longer life expectancy.
Olive oil is rich in antioxidants, can help lower blood pressure, strengthen bones and prevent heart disease.
According to a study by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, the benefits of a Mediterranean diet including olive oil was investigated.
The study conducted randomised trial to support the benefits of the Mediterranean dietary pattern to increase life expectancy, reduce the risk of major chronic disease, and improve quality of life and well-being.
The study noted the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, total mortality, here failure and disability.
NetDoctor said: “We are only just beginning to understand the countless ways in which olive oil can improve our health.
“Aside from providing longevity, here are a few other ways the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet can help boost your wellbeing.
“Olive oil can reduce the risk of developing cancer, is effective against heart disease, and boosts the immune system.”
Other benefits of olive oil include aiding in weight loss, pain relief, skin saviour, mental agility, keeping the body running smoothly, and pregnancy aid.