Study shows ex-smokers who eat healthily may live longer

There are many reasons to quit smoking, including the fact that getting rid of this particularly harmful habit can extend your life expectancy by up to a decade, according to the American Cancer Society. If you’re already proud to quit smoking, know that you can further reduce your risk of death by eating healthily, according to a new study.

In the study, conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and published in JAMA network openthe analysis was performed using data from 159,937 ex-smokers who participated in the NIH-AARP Study of Nutrition and Health in 1995 and 1996. The participants, who had an average age of 62.6 years, were asked to answer questions about their lifestyle at the beginning of the study. The researchers then followed these participants up for about 19 years, during which time 86,127 of them had died.

The makers of the study also compared the participants’ eating habits to the 2015 Healthy Eating Index. This index shows how foods fare against the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The participants whose diets scored highest on the index had a 27% lower risk of dying than those whose scores were lowest. Simply put, the results suggest that ex-smokers who eat a healthy diet may live longer than ex-smokers who don’t.

To break things down further, the researchers found that those with the highest scores also had a 24% lower chance of dying from cancer, a 28% lower chance of dying from cardiovascular disease, and a um 30% less chance of dying from respiratory diseases.

“Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, as recommended by many national organizations, typically involves the same or similar recommendations for healthy eating and physical activity to improve overall health and protect against the onset of many chronic diseases,” Kiran Campbell, R.Dtold Eat this, not that!

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As for what type of healthy eating is best for ex-smokers, Campbell explains that the “Healthy Eating Recommendations of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans include adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, greens and beans, whole grains, dairy, total protein, fish – and plant protein and foods containing fatty acids.” In addition, “the recommendation also includes some restrictions [such as] Limit intake of refined grains, sodium, added sugars, and saturated fats.”

Campbell also points out that “there are several nutrients that smokers and ex-smokers may need to replenish their systems”.

“For example, vitamin C is a nutrient that smokers need more of than non-smokers,” says Campbell. “Smoking has been shown to lower levels of beta-carotene, selenium, zinc, vitamin E and several B vitamins. This is mainly due to the harmful carcinogens in cigarettes and the smoke they inhale. It has an oxidative effect on the body and decreases the bioavailability of these nutrients. The reference also notes that smokers are less likely to consume fruits and vegetables, particularly those higher in vitamin C and carotene.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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