A long life expectancy can be achieved through some simple lifestyle changes. Alongside not smoking, limiting your alcohol intake and regularly exercising, eating the right foods is recommended. Dietary guidelines suggest eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day, basing meals on higher fibre starchy foods, having some dairy or dairy alternatives, eating some protein, and choosing unsaturated oils and spreads and eating them in small amounts. Specific foods have been found to hold a range of benefits for increasing life expectancy, one being eggs.
Eggs are packed with nutrients and have been found to prevent many age-related diseases
According to medical consultant Dr Sarah Brewer and dietician Juliette Kellow, eggs are packed with nutrients and have been found to prevent many age-related diseases.
In their book titled ‘Eat Better Live Longer’, they write: “Their positive effects on weight loss, memory, and eye and bone health mean that eggs are a great protein food to put on your menu.”
Hen eggs, quail eggs and duck eggs all hold benefits, but how many eggs should you be looking to eat?
The duo recommended eating about six eggs a week for optimum health.
So what are eggs good for?
Among their benefits, the pair explain how eggs can boost eye health, be heart friendly and help mental wellbeing.
When it comes to eyes, they explain: “Eggs contain vitamin A, which is vital for healthy vision.
“In addition, they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants known as carotenoids, which are concentrated in the macula and are critical for healthy eyes.
“A good intake of these nutrients is linked to a lower risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, both of which can lead to blindness.”
It may be believed that eggs are bad for cholesterol levels, because they’re high in cholesterol. But new research has suggested otherwise.
Dr Brewer and Ms Kellow write: “Eggs may have a high cholesterol content, but current research shows that cholesterol in food generally has little impact on blood cholesterol levels or heart disease risk (except for people with a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia).
“Instead, it’s saturated and trans fats that raise blood cholesterol; yet only 28 per cent of the fat in an egg is saturated fat.”
And eggs B vitamin content makes them important for mental wellbeing.
The women advise: “Eggs contain many B vitamins, including B12, folate, pantothenic acid and biotin, all of which are important for mental wellbeing.
“Eggs are also rich in choline, a nutrient crucial to the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, which aids brain function and memory.”
Life expectancy could be given another boost by eating another food twice a week.
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