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You are what you eat

The right diet can help you on your way to living a long and healthy life. loveFOOD's nutritionist Angela Dowden explains which foods you should be eating more of – and those to cut down on – to increase your chances of staying hale and hearty.
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Avoiding ultra-processed foods may be key

A 2019 JAMA Internal Medicine study, involving nearly 45,000 people aged 45 or older, reported a statistically significant correlation between the intake of ultra-processed food and the risk of early death from all causes. The definition of ultra-processed food includes ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat industrially produced foods, often with flavor enhancers and colors that make food more desirable and moreish.

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Plant-based or meat?

That 'avoid ultra-processed' rule extends to vegan diets too, which aren’t all healthy. A 2017 study found that a largely plant-based diet made up of whole foods was linked with the lowest level of heart disease risk. Next came a healthy omnivorous diet, while worst for the heart was a near vegan diet where refined grains, potato chips, fries, sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juices featured heavily.

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Eat less: donuts

There’s no sugar coating it – donuts are squarely in the unhealthy, ultra-processed camp, combining sugar and fat in a duo that is oh-so-hard to resist. One Krispy Kreme Glazed Raspberry donut contains 6.6g (0.2oz) of saturated fat – around a third of the recommended daily limit of this cholesterol-raising fat type – along with 324 calories and about 5tsp of sugar.

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Eat less: fried potatoes

Eating fries more than twice a week was associated with a more than doubled risk of death in a 2017 study. However there’s a nugget of hope here: the study was carried out in a US population before trans fats (the type of fat that’s most likely to contribute to cardiovascular disease) was banned in cooking oils. So a plate of fries – although still bad news for your waistline – might not be quite as bad for your heart any longer.

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Eat more: leafy greens

Eating more (non-potato) vegetables in general correlates with better health outcomes and increased longevity. But this 2017 study in the International Journal of Epidemiology picks out leafy greens (such as spinach, broccoli and kale), salads and cruciferous (cabbage family) veg as specifically linked with reduced cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Cruciferous veg were also linked with a lower total cancer risk.

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Eat more: pulses

According to a large analysis of scientific studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating pulses (chickpeas, beans and lentils) is also associated with a lower death rate. The risk of all-cause mortality decreased by 16% when intake of pulses increased to 150g (5oz) a day – that’s between half and two-thirds of a can of drained beans.

Try this fab black and kidney bean dish that takes only 15 minutes

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Eat less: ham, bacon and salami

Unhealthy ingredients in bacon, ham and other cured meats include high levels of salt and nitrite preservatives. Some scientists have even called for a ban on processing nitrates because they convert to carcinogenic nitrosamines (a type of chemical compound) in the stomach. Processed meats are also linked with colon cancer. 

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Eat less: hot dogs

Processed hot dogs are not only linked to bowel cancer but they also fit the definition of a “hyper-palatable food”. It means they're super tasty and difficult to put down, with more than 25% fat and 0.3% sodium (0.75% salt). This and other combinations of carbohydrate, sugar, fat and salt tap into the brain's reward system making it hard for us to resist eating them.

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Eat less: salt

According to a study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, excess salt intake was responsible for three million deaths globally in 2017. The UK’s Action on Salt campaign says high salt intake causes high blood pressure, leading to strokes, heart attacks and heart failure. Store-bought bread, cereal, soup, sauces, pizzas and meat products can all be high in salt, so compare labels and look for lower salt versions.

Discover 25 top healthy cooking hacks

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Eat less: burnt toast

Burnt toast isn’t just an annoyance, it’s a potential health risk according to the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA). Acrylamide – formed when carbohydrate-containing foods are toasted, roasted, baked, fried or grilled – is linked with cancer in animals and may be carcinogenic to humans too. As a precaution, the FSA says to only cook toast and roast potatoes and fries until lightly golden, not dark brown.

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Eat less: flame-grilled and pan-fried meats

Heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are carcinogenic chemicals formed when proteins such as steak, chicken and fish are barbecued over flame or cooked on a hot metal surface (in a frying pan for example). Cut your risk by not charring the outside of your meat, turning it often or part microwaving first.

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Drink less: alcohol

There were 5,843 alcohol-specific deaths in England alone during 2017 according to the NHS, with 80% of them due to liver disease. Booze is also a factor in several cancers, including breast, mouth and esophageal cancer. Fourteen units per week is the UK maximum recommended intake for both men and women, and is a good rule of thumb wherever you live in the world. 

Now find out whether your favorite alcoholic drink has more calories than a cheeseburger

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Drink less: sugary drinks

You’re racking up more than the UK recommended amount of sugar (30g/1oz) in one go when you sink a full-sugar can of Coca-Cola. A 330ml (11floz) can has 139 calories and 35g (1.2oz) of added sugar. A 2017 study linked just one daily glass of sweetened beverages with a 7% increased mortality risk.

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Eat more: spicy food

Here’s some good news for fans of curry or hot sauce. A study of nearly 500,000 people in China found those who ate spicy food six days per week were 14% less likely to die early than those who consumed it less than once a week. Fiery foods may also give your metabolism a temporary boost – and every little helps when you're trying to maintain a healthy weight.

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Eat more: high fiber whole-grains

In 2019, a World Health Organization-funded study reported a 15–30% reduction in death rate in those eating the most, compared with the least, fiber. Eating fiber-rich foods, including wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta, quinoa, brown rice and other whole-grains, also correlated with a 16–24% reduced incidence of coronary heart disease, strokes, Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.

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Eat more: nuts (a handful daily)

A pile of studies have linked regular nut consumption with a lower risk of heart disease and of dying from any cause – this includes peanuts and tree nuts (almonds, walnuts and cashews, for example). Around one small handful at least three times per week seems to be all that’s needed. Remember though, most nuts have about 150–200 calories per handful so you don’t want to overdo it.

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Eat more: fish rich in omega-3 oil

Results from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study show that men and women who consumed the most omega-3 reaped a 15% and 18% reduction in cardiovascular mortality respectively. Eating fish in general correlated with a lower death risk, but only for fish that wasn't fried.

Try this soy and honey-roasted salmon dish for a healthy midweek supper rich in omega-3s

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A sweet spot for carb intake

We’ve gone a little low carb crazy lately but a study in The Lancet Public Health journal found that both low- and high-carbohydrate diets are linked with an increase in mortality. Moderate consumers of carbohydrates had the lowest risk. As a rough guide, making about a quarter of your meal a healthy carb (whole-grains, for example) is about right.

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Just the right amount of dairy

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study says consuming a maximum of 750g (26oz) of dairy – about two big glasses of milk and a small pot of yogurt daily – is not harmful. Indeed dairy provides calcium and is linked with lower colorectal cancer risk. But large intakes of 1,000g (35oz) or more daily were associated with a 15% increased risk of mortality in this study.

Now check out coffee is a fruit and other surprising food facts

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Eat more: fruit

The Bill and Melinda Gates-funded study also suggested that 82 million deaths globally could be attributed to a low intake of fruit. The risk of all-cause mortality decreased by approximately 10% when eating up to around 250g (8.8oz) fruit a day (around three small portions). But there was no extra benefit recorded beyond that so there's no need to keep scoffing it all day.

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Eat more: blueberries and other berries

Blueberries are rich in anthocyanosides which are potent antioxidants. Concentrated blueberry extracts also help improve brain function in older people, according to research. If you're a fan of other small fruits like strawberries and raspberries, there's good news too – the American Institute of Cancer Research says all berries contain a range of anti-cancer components.

Now discover chips, chocolate and other surprisingly healthy foods

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