THE typical Spanish diet could be the key to a longer life and youthful looks, according to scientists in the United States.
An abundance of freshly-caught fish and seafood, grilled rather than deep-fried, plenty of olive oil, rice, beans and pulses, vegetables and fruit – all of which are staples in coastal areas of Spain – have always been recognised as healthy choices.
But as well as lowering cholesterol, regulating blood sugar, improving circulation and heart health, keeping joints well-oiled and skin more wrinkle-free than diets high in refined sugar and saturated fat, latest investigations have shown a Mediterranean-style food régime may actually keep cells younger for longer.
Although inland Spain's diet is more meat-based, beans and pulses are commonly used in the north and in Madrid, and vegetables feature more heavily in these areas, both of which are excellent gene-protectors, says the article in the British Medical Journal which detailed the results of research in a Boston (USA) hospital.
Scientists engaged 5,000 nurses in their study and monitored their health over more than 10 years.
They examined the 'caps' on the end of chromosomes, which are known as 'telomeres' and protect these from harm.
Each cell in the body, except for red blood cells, contains a central core known as the 'nucleus' which, in all cells where it is present – except for women's eggs and men's sperm – contains 46 smaller structures known as chromosomes.
Chromosomes are made up of a complex chemical known as deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, which carry information known as genes.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com