Secrets of longevity: habits that are useful at any age

 You can develop good habits at any age. They will have a positive effect on health both at 18 years old and at 100.

Specialists from Johns Hopkins University (USA) have listed the most important ones - which will contribute to cheerfulness, well-being and longevity.

Be physically active. Physical exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Exercise is also one of the best ways to prevent dementia and other cognitive changes. Dr. Argie Hillis advises to spend at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week.

Improve your diet. It is not only about maintaining a normal weight, but also about proper nutrition. Hillis recommends a Mediterranean diet. Such a diet is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and low in meat, sugar, and processed foods, all of which help cells function better.

Sleep well. Lack of sleep negatively affects memory, emotions, weight and appearance. Often, the older a person is, the more difficult it is for him to fall asleep and get a good night's sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), most sleep problems are the result of snoring or certain medical conditions. Therefore, discuss their treatment with your doctor. And if everything is fine with your health, remember that you can enjoy better quality sleep by creating an appropriate environment in the bedroom and practicing relaxation techniques.

Quit smoking. There is no need to talk about the harm of smoking again. Quitting this habit has many long-term health benefits.

Train your brain. Constantly. The brain needs new tasks. It can be learning a foreign language or traveling to work on a new route. Make it your goal to continue learning at any age, experts advise.

The nutritionist told what breakfast he considers the most useful for the figure

 To maintain a slim figure, it is better to prepare dishes made from eggs for breakfast.

Nutritionist Michael Mosley is sure of this. He told the Daily Mirror about the most useful and most harmful breakfast for the figure.

Yes, a nutritionist believes that the habit of starting the day with eggs is the key to weight loss. At the same time, the specialist emphasized, they can be prepared in any way.

Mosley attributed the benefits of eggs to their high protein content, as well as vitamin B and selenium. He also assured that this product does not increase the level of cholesterol in the blood.

"Cooked, in the form of an omelet or scrambled eggs, they will help you feel fuller for longer compared to cereal or toast," said nutritionist Mosley.

He suggested adding onions and mushrooms to the omelette, as the former contain a large amount of beneficial probiotics, and the latter contain vitamin D. Spinach, garlic, and turmeric can also be excellent additions, he said.

But for those who want to avoid gaining weight or lose weight, Mosley does not recommend adding fatty bacon to eggs. It is better to exclude pastries from the diet for breakfast, because they contain a lot of calories and bring almost no benefit to the body.

A British scientist found out how air pollution causes lung cancer even in non-smokers

 Charles Swanton from the Francis Crick Institute found that volatile microparticles cause mutations in the EGFR and KRAS genes, which provokes the development of lung cancer.

The research team led by Swanton analyzed the health data of more than 460,000 people in England, South Korea and Taiwan.

They found that exposure to tiny PM2.5 pollution particles less than 2.5 microns in size leads to an increased risk of mutations in the EGFR gene.

In laboratory studies on mice, the team showed that the particles caused changes in the EGFR gene as well as the KRAS gene, both of which are linked to lung cancer.

They then analyzed nearly 250 lung tissue samples from people who had never been exposed to carcinogens from smoking or heavy environmental pollution.

Although the lungs were healthy, they found DNA mutations in 18% of the EGFR genes and 33% of the KRAS genes.

"It probably doesn't lead to cancer by itself," Swanton said. "But when a cell is exposed to pollution, it tries to regenerate itself, which leads to inflammation."

And if that cell contains mutated DNA, cancer will develop.

The research of British scientists shook the scientific world.

"This opens huge doors for both knowledge and new ways to prevent cancer," said Susan Delalog, who heads the cancer prevention program at France's Institut Gustave Roussy.

Tony Mok, an oncologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, called the research "exciting."

The researchers hope their findings will prompt states to respond to rising air pollution.

"You and I have a choice whether we smoke or not, but we don't have a choice about the air we breathe," Swanton concluded.