16 April 2024 , 01:29
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According to researchers, two superfoods can help stave off dementia, reduce the risk of an early death and even help prevent cancer. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, cabbage and lettuce are packed with essential nutrients like vitamin K, lutein and folate, along with a host of beneficial plant flavonoids.
These veggies also contain nitrates, which our bodies convert into nitrite - a compound that relaxes and widens blood vessels, boosting blood flow to the heart, brain and muscles. Nutritionists at Chicago's Rush University found that consuming a daily serving of these leafy greens can slow down age-related cognitive decline.
In fact, those who ate two or more servings typically displayed the memory and recall skills of someone 11 years their junior.
Last year, a World Cancer Research Fund-supported study of over 70,000 people revealed that gobbling down leafy greens daily could slash the risk of bowel cancer by as much as 7 per cent. Registered dietician Dr Linia Patel expressed that "green leafy veg can have a profound effect on general health and on heart health".x
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Leafy greens are vital (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Researchers at Australia's Edith Cowan University Institute for Nutrition Research declared that consuming leafy greens every day helped to "significantly reduce the risk of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease" in nearly 3,000 study participants, according to Gloucestershire Live.
Another beneficial grub is a bunch of nuts - potentially minimising the risk of respiratory diseases and cancer. No more than a palm-full (20g) of nuts per day brings numerous health advantages.
A shared research team from Imperial College London and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology discovered it could trim the risk of heart disease by almost 30 per cent, cancer by 15 per cent and premature death by 22 per cent.
An analysis published in BMC Medicine journal reviewed 29 international studies involving 819,000 individuals and found that daily nut consumption chopped the risk of dying from respiratory illnesses by half and diabetes by nearly 40 per cent. Lambert adds that "Nuts are also rich in cholesterol-lowering fats and fibre as well as minerals that are linked to better heart health," suggesting a variety of raw and unsalted varieties as their nutrient profile changes.
In addition to this, a study involving 47,000 men discovered that those who munched on a third of a cup of nuts five times a week had a 34 per cent lower risk of dying from prostate cancer.