There are some places in Sicily where villagers live till they are a hundred.
Recent research highlights that by eating a healthy Mediterranean diet we slash levels of saturated fat and eat lots of fruit and veg.
The diet can add years to our lives and prevent heart disease, stroke, cancer and dementia .
University of Palermo, Sicily, researchers studied villagers from the island’s Sicani Mountains region.
There four times as many people live to be 100 plus than the national average.
These centenarians are physically active, not obese, and small in size.
To age successfully it is advisable to adhere to a diet which contains little saturated fat and lots of fruit and veg rich in phytochemicals.
They eat lots of seasonal plant food and little meat, low levels of refined carbohydrates.
They do not use sweeteners or drink sweet drinks, nor do they eat canned food or frozen ready-prepared veg, cakes, biscuits or snacks.
They have a high intake of olive and virgin olive oil which is high in antioxidants.
For successful ageing it is best to stick to a diet which contains low levels of saturated fat and lots of fruit and vegetables full of phytochemicals, which are biologically-active plant chemicals that contain cancer-killing properties and help keep heart disease at bay.