Can a flexitarian diet help you live longer? 

Scientists have long advised people to eat more vegetables if they want to live a healthier, longer life. longer life. 

But recent research has found that not eating too much meat can also help. 

In an interview with Newstalk Breakfast, nutritionist Sarah Keogh from Eatwell.ie said that a healthy diet could reduce the risk of  cancer by 10%. 

"The study didn't specifically look at putting people on a flexitarian diet to see what happens," she says. "They looked at the data -- very good, hard data -- to see what policies had incorporated flexitarianism  and what came out of that. 

 "They discovered that those with healthier diets, or those who consumed more fruits and vegetables, lived longer.  lived longer. 

"People who ate more whole grains, more fruits and vegetables, more fiber, and then reduced their intake of snacks and things like that, had less cancer and less heart disease." 

Dairy cows eating in a dairy manger / Minnesota, USA. (Image credit: © Steve Woit/Design Pics via ZUMA Wire) 

But the study  also warned that there are big benefits to including meat in your diet. 

"They looked at the nutritional needs of men," Keogh said. "They looked at the nutritional needs of men," Keogh said. " "After reanalyzing them, they discovered that the iron content was half that of women. 

 "Zinc levels and calcium levels were  lower.  "A reassessment last year led me to the conclusion that if I really wanted to reach my nutrition goals, I probably needed to eat more dairy and meat.

"Also, this diet is very low in calcium, and we know that people who eat vegan, plant-based diets have a 30% increase in fractures, so we need to be very careful." 

Quitting meat reduces your carbon footprint, but it's not the only dietary change  that can help the planet, says Keogh. says Keogh. 

"There are two  things that are rapidly affecting your carbon footprint," she says. "Firstly, cut down on snacks, crisps, biscuits and cakes. These produce a lot of carbon dioxide and are not necessary in your diet. 

"So before you cut out nutrients like iron and calcium, try cutting back on the snacks. 

"Secondly, food waste. If this were a country, it would be the third largest producer of carbon dioxide in the world." 

Food waste accounts for 8-10% of  global carbon dioxide emissions 

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