Running and eating; ways to live longer

 

In a story on the BBC yesterday talked about how cardiovascular fitness can aid in maintaining brain function. 3,000 people, average age 25, in Minnesota were tested on a treadmill then again 20 years later. Those who had the smallest differences in the treadmill tests were found to score higher in the memory and thinking tests, even after being adjusted for factors such as smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol.

In another exercise  related story I came across discusses the findings of this study conducted in Australia. Carried out over 15 years the study found significant benefits to reduced risk of stroke, 31% reduction, risk of hypertension, a 32% reduction,  and cardiovascular disease, a 33% reduction. The take home message was that exercising regularly is good for you and can help reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular issues.

In another story on the BBC earlier in the week talked about the improvement in longevity from eating more fruit and veg. The paper is published here. The study took place over 7 years and had 65.226 participants and the study found that eating 7+ portions of vegetables and fruit reduced the chances of dying by 42%. The study was adjusted to take account of sex, age, cigarette smoking, social class, Body Mass Index, education, physical activity and alcohol intake, and exclude deaths within a year of the food survey so was pretty robust. Whilst many may yawn, complain about price of fruit and veg or yet again scientists/clinicians telling them what to do there can be little doubt that eating a healthier diet is generally good for you. The fact that eating more fruit and veg will likely not just allow you to live longer but to allow you to live a better quality of life is surely priceless.

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