Reports find that a Nordic diet could help you live longer

The Nordic diet could help you live longer, so how can you adapt to it?

Many staple foods and dishes from the region are shown to be correlated with higher standards of living, for both individual and planet health, according to an Aarhus University study. 

The diet in itself is quite simple: less meat and added sugars, instead opting for whole grains, fruits, fish and low-fat dairy products. 

Nordic foods tend to strongly revolve around berries, herring, and root vegetables like carrots and beets throughout daily meals.

The big one, the national bread for Scandinavian countries, is rye bread.

Among the grain family tree, rya has the highest fiber content, as well as containing 11% healthy fats and 13% protein. 

Often described as the Mediterranean diet of the North, vegetables and healthy fats are rooted into traditional dishes.

Københavns Universitet released a study of dietary effect on cancer and overall health, calling on the Healthy Nordic Food Index, which scores individuals to how closely your everyday eating matches the diet. 

One of the earliest studies tracked a cohort of 57,053 danes over 12 years.

The study found a 36% lower death risk related to health issues in men with a higher index score, as opposed to men with a low Healthy Nordic Food score.

Similar studies have found that this eating pattern led to a lower risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. 

Another study in Sweden asked participants to substitute pasta and white bread for porridge and rye bread, swapping rapeseed oil for butter, and asking them to source local fruits and vegetables for a full year.  

The Nordic diet group saw improvements in lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, and reducing liver fats, which are closely related to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and strokes.

Given the similarities in ingredients and availability of foods, the nordic diet is much easier to integrate in UK lives rather than the mediterranean one.

Additionally, opting for locally sourced foods like in the Swedish study can help your ecological footprint.

What some simple changes might include

• swapping refined grains for whole grains like oats and rye bread and aiming for 90g a day
• eating more fatty fish each week
• using unsaturated oils instead of butter
• adding more legumes, root vegetables and seasonal produce to meals
• cutting back on highly processed foods
• Treating red meat as an extra rather than a staple

It is important to note that the Nordic diet does not depend on ‘super foods’, but rather demonstrates the value of the simplicity of locally sourced foods.

Ultimately, the best diet for improving your health does not require perfection, but rather balanced choices that you can implement into your daily meals.