FOOD TO ADD YEARS… OR TAKE THEM AWAY!

Could an avocado habit really help keep you young? Yes, according to one study. Based on the Health Nutritional Index (HENI), a scoring system that measures the nutritional impact of food, researchers at the University of Michigan analysed more than 5,800 foods and ranked them according to factors such as their effect on our health and the environment. The scientists found that there are certain foods that could potentially increase your lifespan by minutes each time they are eaten, while others steal minutes from your life expectancy – and swapping just 10% of our daily calorie intake for better choices can move the needle.

‘For example, substituting half a serving (20g) of processed meat and half a serving (40g) of beef per day with a mix of nutritious foods supplying the same calories – such as nuts, vegetables, fruits, legumes and low-environmental-impact seafood – could result in a health gain of 48 minutes a day, as well as a 33% carbon-footprint reduction,’ explains Dr Brewer.

Here’s a selection of food and drink that might help you to gain – or lose – healthy minutes of life. And because the study is also based on their environmental impact, some may surprise you!

GAIN MINUTES

✢ Apple pie +1.3 minutes

✢ French fries +1.5 minutes

✢ Avocado +2.8 minutes

✢ Rice with beans +13 minutes ✢ Banana +13.5 minutes

✢ Baked salmon +16 minutes ✢ 30g nuts +25 minutes

LOSE MINUTES

✢ Chicken wings -3.3 minutes

✢ Bacon -6 minutes

✢ Slice of pizza -7 minutes

✢ Double cheeseburger -8 minutes ✢ Can of fizzy drink -12 minutes

✢ Hot dog -36 minutes