Top 5 Foods That Will Increase Your Lifespan

Improving your life expectancy through medical tests and health screenings is certainly not one of the “fun ways to live longer,” but it is, without a doubt, one of the most effective ways to add healthy years on to your life; however, these tests and screenings aren’t the only way to increase your life expectancy – you can also rely on food to help you do that.

Here’s a look at five types of foods that you should add to your diet to increase your life expectancy:

1. Fermented Vegetables. You can rely on a supplement to get your probiotics, but getting probiotics from your food is far more beneficial, considering the fact that you can ingest far more beneficial bacteria from food. Fermented vegetables, such as pickled beets, red cabbage and sour kraut are all excellent ways to boost your probiotic intake, not to mention they’re tasty treats.
2. Eat nuts 5 days a week and you can tack about 3 years to your life. Nuts have been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. Nuts are high in vitamin E and reduce oxidative stress in your arteries.
3. Research has shown that damage to DNA can increase the risk of cancer, and research has also shown that watercress can help to reduce damage to DNA. A recent study found that watercress has a huge impact on preventing damage to DNA. In this study, participants consumed the veggie every day for an 8 week period and each individual had a lower incidence of DNA damage.
4. When you think of foods that are high in potassium, the first one that probably comes to mind is bananas. Potassium is important because it helps the body counteract the effects of sodium and thus helps to lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is a catastrophic problem, as it is linked to higher incidence of heart attacks and strokes, two of the biggest causes of death in the United States. So, go ahead and grab a banana or two each and every day.
5. Consider switching out your morning cup of Joe for a spot of tea. Both black and green teas have high levels of caffeine, so they’ll provide you with that jolt you need to wake up, plus, since these teas are high in tannins, catechins and several other bio-active compounds, they can help to strengthen your immune system and even significantly reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer.

If you want to live a longer, healthier life, add these five foods to your grocery list and consume them all on a regular basis.

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/eating-longevity http://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity-center-pictures/9-foods-that-may-lengthen-your-life.aspx http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/incredible-foods-to-eat-to-enhance-your-longevity/