Tasty pub snack could add years to your life – ‘slashing risk of early death by 23%’
EATING more nuts could add years to your life, a study shows.
People who ate more fibre were 23 per cent less likely to die early from any cause, Iranian researchers found.
And specific fibre found in the tasty pub snack reduced the risk of dying from heart disease by 43 per cent, they said.
Dr Hanieh-Sadat Ejtahed, of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, said: “We found that consuming fibre could help you live longer.
“It’s worth noting that the type of fibre seems to make a difference.
“Eating foods high in insoluble fibre, like wheat bran, tend to be more influential in reducing mortality risk compared to consuming sources of soluble fibre like oat bran, barley and lentils.”
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Fibre is a type of nutrient found in wholegrains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and pulses that helps people feel full and aids digestion, reducing their risk of constipation.
The NHS recommends British adults eat around 30g of fibre a day, but most eat around 20g on average.
People can increase how much they eat by snacking on nuts, choosing high-fibre breakfasts like porridge and increasing how many veggies they eat every day, the health service says.
Previous research has shown eating more fibre can reduce the risk of a range of conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.
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The latest analysis, published in the Elsevier journal Clinical Nutrition, looked at 64 studies, with more than 3.5million participants analysed.
The studies included data about how much fibre they ate, and their risks of dying from any cause, heart disease or cancer.
They also looked at what type of fibre people were eating.
Overall, eating more fibre reduced the risk of dying from heart disease by 26 per cent and from cancer by 22 per cent.
Insoluble fibre — found in beans, whole wheat or bran products and nuts — reduced the risks more than soluble fibre — found in beans, peas, oats, barley, apples and citrus fruits.
Fibre found in nuts and seeds specifically was the most effective at reducing the risk of dying from heart disease.
Dr Ejtahed said: “Nuts protect against heart disease primarily by improving the lipid and apolipoprotein profiles.
“Increasing evidence also suggests that nut consumption may protect against it by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation and improving endothelial function.”