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. You could increase your lifespan by regularly eating tomatoes, it’s been claimed.
Tomatoes are a crucial fruit that make up a large portion of the Mediterranean diet, said dietitian Juliette Kellow and nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer.
They’re particularly good for the heart, as they can reduce your cholesterol, and subsequently your heart disease risk.
Everyone should aim to be eating a serving of tomatoes every single day, they claimed.
“An integral part of the Mediterranean diet, tomatoes are a great source of health-promoting vitamins A and C,” they said in their book ‘Eat Better Live Longer – Understand What Your Body Needs To Stay Healthy’.
“They also contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopene, which may improve heart health and protect against a number of cancers.
“Better still, looking seems to boost the lycopene-related benefits of tomatoes, as does serving them with a little fat, for example, olive oil.
“A daily serving of tomatoes or tomato products is ideal. However, consuming tomatoes only a few times a week still offers many health benefits.
“When buying fresh, choose ripe, dark red tomatoes, as they contain the most lycopene.”
A single serving of tomato includes one whole, regular-sized tomato, six cherry tomatoes, 200g of chopped tomatoes, and one small glass of tomato juice.
The highest levels of lycopene can be found in a portion of sundried tomatoes, they added.
Just four sundried tomatoes represents the same amount of lycopene as six regular-sized tomatoes.
Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every week is the best way to make sure you lead a long and healthy life.
Regular exercise is a crucial aspect to improving overall health, and helping you to live longer.
People that do regular exercise are up to 50 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes and some cancers, said the NHS.
It may even slash the chances of coronary heart disease and stroke by up to 35 per cent.
All UK adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.
