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Should you eat less to live longer?

Additives like preservatives keep our foods mold-free and tasty for longer periods of time. But what does the fine print on food labels reveal about what we are really putting in our bodies?

Eating a whole-foods diet has been shown to reduce the risk of many diseases and early aging. Interestingly, research has shown whole foods have more of a beneficial effect on disease compared to individual vitamin and mineral supplements. For example, a study examining beta-carotene showed that people eating fruits and vegetables high in beta-carotene had a lower risk of lung cancer than those who were supplemented with just beta-carotene.

Research published in the journal Circulation found that compared to those who reported eating just two servings of fruits and vegetables per day, people who reported eating five servings a day were at lower risk of death from any cause, lower risk of death from heart attack or stroke, lower risk of cancer, and lower risk of death from respiratory disease.

Exercise and a healthy diet are essential for losing weight and helping to reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. If you are overweight, losing just 10% of your body weight can lead to a reduction in health risk, according to the American Diabetes Association. Physical fitness and eating well also have many immediate benefits, including improved mood, reduced stress, regular bowel function, more energy and less fatigue, less pain, and fewer inches around your waistline.