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Study Shows: These Sports Extend Our Lives Massively

Those who play sports have a longer life expectancy. Everyone is probably aware of this fact.

These seven sports extend your life the longest:

Tennis by 9.7 years
Badminton by 6.2 years
Playing football by 4.7 years
Cycling by 3.7 years
Swimming 3.4 years
jogging by 3.2 years
Gymnastics 3.1 years

The sports that top the list have one thing in common: they are played in teams or at least in pairs. It seems that team sports in particular have a positive influence on people’s life expectancy. Apparently, the component of social interaction plays a decisive role here.

The leader here is tennis, which can extend the length of life by an average of 9.7 years. Badminton players live about 6.2 years longer, according to the study. But football also has a positive effect on lifespan. On average, football players have a significantly longer lifespan of 4.7 years.

Individual sports extend lives longer than team sports

Individual sports also increase lifespan, but not to the same extent as team sports. Cycling accounts for an additional 3.7 years, swimming for 3.4 years, jogging for 3.2 years – this also supports another study, according to which fast runners live up to 15 years longer than dawdlers – and gymnastics for 3.1 years . But why is that?

Contact with other people seems to be an important reason here. “If you are interested in training for health, longevity and wellness, perhaps the most important feature of your training program is that it should include a play date,” said Dr. James O’Keefe, one of the co-authors of the Copenhagen City Heart study. The social interaction in team sports not only moves you, but also maintains social contacts, which is immeasurable for a long life.

Activities like running and weightlifting prolong life and provide numerous other health benefits. But the best thing would be for people who play these kinds of sports to supplement their training with activities that promote social bonding, says O’Keefe.

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health

Reduce The Risk of Death By 42 Percent: These Fruits and Vegetables Extend Your Life

A British study has examined the link between the risk of death and the daily consumption of certain types of fruit and vegetables. We explain which fruits and vegetables can extend your life.

Nobody knows 100 percent whether we can actually extend our life through our diet. Nevertheless, science is getting a little bit closer to this question. According to the current state of research, many factors are already known that have been proven to lead to a shorter life or a higher risk of death and health, such as smoking. A recently evaluated study now also provides information about which foods you should integrate into your diet in order to reduce your risk of death.

British researcher finds link between risk of death and fruits and vegetables

It has long been known that a balanced diet can have a positive effect on physical health. The consumption of fruit and vegetables in particular is praised to the skies. Primarily because it reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease or cancer. But does consuming these foods really have a direct impact on length of life?

British researcher Oyinlola Oyebode and her team from University College London conducted a study involving nearly two million people. The study was based on the national Health Survey for England. Here, between 2001 and 2013, the eating habits and other health parameters of more than 65,000 Britons were recorded and documented. This is reported by Health News.

The participants corresponded to the population average of Great Britain. Almost 4,400 participants died during the study period. With this data, the scientists have now found a connection between the death rate and the eating habits of people.

Five servings of fruit and vegetables a day achieve best results

The Oyebode study then examined the connection between the general risk of death and the daily consumption of fruit and vegetables. It was found that five portions of fruit and vegetables, integrated into the daily diet, are associated with a longer life. The researchers recommend splitting two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables. But what do you mean by five servings a day? The ideal would be to consume 150 grams of fruit and 75 grams of vegetables. Sugared fruit is not included here as it can have negative health effects.

What was the study actually about? The participants were divided into two groups. One group ate just two servings of fruit and vegetables daily, while the second group ate the recommended five servings. The participants who ate the five servings had a 13 percent reduced risk of premature death. They were 12 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 35 percent less likely to die from respiratory disease.

The study concluded that the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables can reduce the general risk of death by up to 42 percent for people of all ages. Vegetables in particular can have a life-prolonging effect. Fruit performs less well in a direct comparison of the two food groups. If a larger amount of fruit is consumed than stated, this has no added health value. It does not bring any additional benefit to the body.

The greener the better: Spinach, lettuce and kale prolong life

Also, not all fruits and vegetables are equally helpful in reducing the risk of death. Basically, it makes the difference how starchy a vegetable is – potatoes, peas and corn do not show any positive effects because of their high starch content. The same applies to fruit juices, as they no longer contain enough nutrients.

Vegetables, which truly confer life-extending effects, are generally said to be green. Leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, and kale fall under this. But carrots also reduce the risk of some diseases. Fresh vegetables in particular lower the risk of death by 16 percent on average. Salad brings a 13 percent risk reduction, while fruit only brings a 4 percent lower risk per serving.

For the two daily servings of fruit, fruits high in beta-carotene and vitamin C, such as citrus fruits and berries, are beneficial. “The clear message from our study is that the more fruit and vegetables you eat, the lower the risk of death at any age. Those who like to nibble on carrots and other vegetables gain the most, but a banana or other fruit is also good,” explains Oyebode finally.

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Cooking Tips

Macerating: This is How You Can Extend the Shelf Life of Fruit

Maceration means “soaking in liquid”. You can read in this article how this works and for which foods it makes sense to macerate.

Maceration is a term from the kitchen. It was borrowed from the French “macérer” – “to soak/soak something” and goes back to the Latin “machrare” – “to soak”. It sounds fancy, but chances are you’ve already macerated while cooking or baking.

Why is maceration useful?

Preservation: Maceration makes fresh food last longer. Another side effect is that fruit does not turn brown.
Flavoring: You can add another flavor note to macerated foods.
Change consistency: Depending on the type of food being macerated, the consistency can remain the same, become softer or juicier.

You need this

Maceration is very easy. You need two components; it is up to you how much and what combinations it will be. Maceration is usually understood as meaning when fruit is marinated in alcohol with a little sugar, but there are many variations.

Ingredient One: Foods You Want to Macerate:

Fruit like strawberries or apricots
vegetables like onions
Pastry like biscuit
When macerating, you put the food in or sprinkle it over it in order to then process it further. For example, you dip ladyfingers in coffee to use for (vegan) tiramisu; or you macerate fruit in sugar to make jam. You can also macerate meat.

Ingredient Two: Liquid

Depending on the flavor you want and the purpose, you have different liquids to choose from in which to put the food:

Alcoholic beverages such as liqueur or sparkling wine
Oils such as olive oil or garlic oil (tip: make your own garlic oil)
Vinegar like balsamic
Juices (fruit or vegetable) such as orange juice or tomato juice
Broths like vegetable broth (tip: make your own vegetable broth)
Fairtrade coffee or tea such as black tea
Note: We recommend buying organic food. Then you can be sure that they are free of chemical-synthetic pesticides and come from environmentally friendly cultivation. If you use seasonal and regional fruit and vegetables, you can save CO2 emissions due to the shorter transport routes. Our seasonal calendar shows you when which fruit and vegetables are in season in Germany.

Maceration tips

Use a liquid of your choice for maceration. You can add extra flavor with spices. For example, when macerating fruit, add some cinnamon to the liquid. Herbs, on the other hand, often go well with savory pickles. You can try different flavors. How about a dash of lemon juice and some sugar in a fruit-juice maceration?

It is crucial that the flavors of the liquid harmonize well with those of the food. For example, drinks such as rum, wine or fruit juice go well with fruit, coffee or sweet liqueurs go well with baked goods and spice-oil mixtures, vinegar or broth go with vegetables.

Basically, you should macerate food cold (or at least lukewarm). Pre-heating only makes sense in some cases, for example to boil off residual alcohol or to obtain roasted aromas.

To macerate, simply place the food in the liquid and let it steep for a bit. How long that is varies. For example, soaking strawberries in sugar for 15 minutes may be enough. Others you leave for 24 hours, such as a punch. For pastries such as cake bases, it is sufficient to drizzle or dip them briefly. The aroma usually intensifies with a longer soaking time.

Incidentally, macerating works in a similar way to marinating. However, a marinade contains many spices, and marinated foods are often boiled, simmered, or fried afterwards. Food is often macerated longer than marinated. As a rule, the food’s own liquid and aroma are included in the maceration liquid, which is usually not the case with marinating. Therefore you can continue to use the maceration liquid.

It is not possible to generalize how long a food can be preserved through maceration. That depends on the liquid used and the preparation method. For example, olive oil preserves for up to six months and canola oil for up to a year, while sugar alone doesn’t really extend shelf life. However, if you further process fruit pickled in sugar by heating it to make jam or compote, the food can even last for several years. Also alcohol preserved for several months (for example Rumtopf). However, it is always important that the macerated food does not come into contact with dirt and bacteria and that you store it in a cool and dark place – otherwise the product will spoil.

Recipes: Macerate strawberries with balsamic vinegar

Ingredients:

500 g strawberries
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar or agave syrup
some leaves of fresh mint

Directions:

Wash the strawberries and pat them dry.
Cut the strawberries into small pieces – preferably in halves or quarters, depending on their size. Then place the strawberries in a sealable container.
Pour in the vinegar and sprinkle over the sugar (or agave nectar or other sweetener). You can either add the mint at the end when serving or add it to the bowl in small pieces.
Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Get the strawberries out of the fridge in time so that they return to (almost) room temperature.
You can eat balsamic strawberries just like that, serve as an appetizer or dessert. You can also combine the macerated strawberries as a sweet and sour ingredient or side dish, for example in a salad or in a bowl.

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