How to live longer: Delicious snack to reduce heart attack risk and boost longevity by 10% – Express

When trying to ascertain the best types of food or diet to help improve your lifespan, reduce risk of serious diseases and improve brain health; turning to studies is often the best bet. Numerous studies have found one of the best snacks to help with the ageing process and could even boost your lifespan by 10 percent.

Berries are a nutritious, heart-healthy snack for everyone, according to dietitian Juliette Kellow and nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer.

Theyre packed full of antioxidants and fibre, which contribute to cardiovascular improvements, they said.

Eating just three or more servings of berries a week could lower your risk of a heart attack by as much as 34 percent, they revealed.

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An 18-year study conducted by led by Dr Eric Rimm, associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, found that women who ate the most strawberries and blueberries were 34 percent less likely to have suffered a heart attack than women who ate the least of these fruits.

The answer to why berries are so healthy could lie in their antioxidants content called anthocyanins, which protect against the oxidative stress and inflammation that contribute to the development of heart disease.

Blueberries also contain specific flavonoid molecules which help fight DNA damage and slow age-related damage to brain cells.

Numerous studies have shown that blueberries slow age-related damage to brain cells and protect memory-associated brain regions from oxidant and inflammatory damage.

The result is improvements in overall cognitive function.

One study on fruit flies found those who regularly consumed blueberries lived 10 percent longer.

Equally it was found that berries not only boosted the fruit flies longevity but also improved their levels of activity.

These benefits arouse from both the increased tolerance of oxidant stress and from beneficial changes int eh way certain important genes are exposed.

Scientists from the Human Nutrition Research Center on Ageing found that strawberries helped improved mental capabilities.

The research trial involved 37 participants of both men and women between the ages of 60 to 75 and consumed two cups of freeze-dried strawberries a day or a placebo for a total of 90 days.

The results found those who consumed the strawberries showed improved cognitive skills.

The participants also had significantly better spatial navigation, a vital skill for identifying locations and not getting lost, one which is crucial that we maintain as we get older, and verbal recall, which is important for communication.

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How to live longer: Delicious snack to reduce heart attack risk and boost longevity by 10% - Express