This past Tuesday, Dame Angela Lansbury, best known for her roles in Murder, She Wrote and Gaslight, peacefully passed away in her sleep, just five days shy of celebrating her 97th birthday. Now, getting to 96 is no easy feat, so how exactly did she manage to maintain her longevity all these years?
Angela Lansbury’s Secrets To Longevity
“I feel full of energy and I certainly don’t feel 93. I like a glass of wine and take a lot of vitamins – perhaps that keeps me going.” – Angela Lansbury, Express
While Lansbury shared this quote in 2018 when she was 93, it’s not farfetched to conclude that taking her vitamins and enjoying a glass a day helped to add 3 more years to her life. However, what does the science say about how red wine and vitamins can help longevity? Can a pill and a glass a day really keep the doctor away?
Red wine for longevity
Is alcohol good for you? There are countless studies that either support or denounce this idea, but the consensus seems to be that moderate drinking can be beneficial, even if it just makes you feel better. Which is the best choice for you? Well, red wine tends to top that list.
According to a study published in Diseases, drinking 1–2 glasses of wine per day has been positively associated with positive effects on human health promotion and disease prevention, as well as disease prognosis. So what’s the reason for wine’s positive benefits? Well, it’s all thanks to its color.
Red wine contains flavonoids, which are a type of antioxidant responsible for the purple color that wine has. The main flavonoids found in wine are resveratrol and anthocyanins. Resveratrol can also be found in cocoa, blueberries, and cranberries, whereas anthocyanins can be found in berries, currants, and grapes.
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A 2017 study found that resveratrol helped to extend lifespan and maintain health, whereas a separate study noted that anthocyanins may prove to be a reliable and effective approach to the prevention and management of age and inflammatory-related diseases.
Now, while this may encourage you to grab a bottle of wine after work, it’s important to remember that no medical professional is going to prescribe that you drink a glass a day to boost your health. Also, it can be easy to fall into the cycle of alcohol abuse, so you’re better off enjoying other sources of resveratrol and anthocyanins like grapes and blueberries.
However, if you do want to enjoy a glass of wine after a long day, then make sure to stick to one. Additionally, you can also pair a single glass with a healthier Mediterranean-like meal.
Pop vitamins for better health
Do you take vitamins every morning? If not, chances are you know someone who does. Vitamins can be beneficial to ensure you get enough nutritional support. And while we don’t know which vitamins Dame Angela Lansbury was taking, we’re sure that they were providing her with the necessary nutrients to keep her healthy.
That said, as great as vitamins are, they’re not a good enough replacement for a well-balanced diet. Vitamins are meant to supplement your health, not be the main character.
If you’re looking to take a vitamin every morning, we recommend a multivitamin that has vitamin D, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Folate, and Vitamin B-12.
Check in with your doctor and confirm that you’re not deficient in any nutrients before you start taking a whole lot of vitamins or supplements.
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Want to know more?
While she’s no way near 96, one celebrity that’s aging quite well is Jane Fonda. Despite her cancer diagnosis, the 84-year-old is still using movement to keep herself healthy and happy.
References
Li, Y. R., Li, S., & Lin, C. C. (2018). Effect of resveratrol and pterostilbene on aging and longevity. BioFactors (Oxford, England), 44(1), 69–82. https://doi.org/10.1002/biof.1400
Pavlidou, E., Mantzorou, M., Fasoulas, A., Tryfonos, C., Petridis, D., & Giaginis, C. (2018). Wine: An Aspiring Agent in Promoting Longevity and Preventing Chronic Diseases. Diseases (Basel, Switzerland), 6(3), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases6030073
Speer, H., D’Cunha, N. M., Alexopoulos, N. I., McKune, A. J., & Naumovski, N. (2020). Anthocyanins and Human Health-A Focus on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Disease. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 9(5), 366. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9050366
