6 simple ways to try sirt foods

Dark chocolate, green tea, and apples are among sirt foods

(Food and Drink/REX Shutterstock)

With every New Year comes a wave of new self-help and diet books. This year, “sirt foods” are what we’re told we should be eating to lose excess weight and stay healthy.

Sirt foods, which have seen a spike in Google searches since late last year, have been made popular thanks to the The Sirtfood Diet book by nutritionists Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten.

The pair trialled the diet at an upmarket gym in west London, where a plan costs £1,475 for seven days, the Evening Standard reported.

The foods get their name from sirtuins, which are a type of protein which regulate different pathways in the body.

To test whether eating foods high in sirtuins has a positive effect, the team monitored the progress of a small sampe of 40 gym-goers. Each of the participants lost 7lbs in seven days and reported higher levels of energy.

An animal study in 2012 showed how a surtuin called Sirt6 lengthened the lifespan of male mice by 15.8 per cent, while later research showed that Sirt1 is linked to a healthier metabolism in mice fed a high-fat diet.

However, a recent study by the Journal of Physiology also showed that eating sirtuin-rich food could make exercise less effective at lowering blood pressure and regulating cholesterol. However, this study involved high levels of sirtuin supplmenets, at 250mg a day, the Telegraph reported.

So, the effects of the eating foods containing sirtuins will be better understood with further investigation.

Now you know the facts, here are some simply ways to give sirt foods a try.

Green tea

(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Swap your builder's tea for a green tea. The difference between the two is that fresh leaves from the plant are steamed to make green tea, while black is fermented.

Apples

(Andrew Wong/Getty Images)

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away... As well as being classed a sirt food, studies have shown that the fruit helps lower cholesterol, and is a good source of fibre - meaning it keeps you fuller for longer, the Huffington Post reported.

Parsley

(PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

The leaves can easily be chopped up and sprinkled on dishes from curries to lean steaks. It is also rich in vitamin K, which is good for your bones, as well as vitamins A and C, The Guardian reported.

Blueberries

(MICHAEL URBAN/AFP/Getty Images)

A wonderful addition to porridge or cereal in the morning, blueberries are high in vitamin K, and also contain vitamin C and fibre, according to the NHS.

Strawberries

Wimbledon says the price of its strawberries and cream has been held for seven years. That could soon change (Carl Court/Getty Images)

Best eaten in the summertime when they're in season, strawberries are rich in a chemical compound called anthocyanins, which are believed to lower blood pressure, according to the Harvard Health Publications website.

Dark chocolate

(Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

Studies have shown that cocoa could have links to cardiovascular disease, and dark chocolate is better for you than other types because it generally lower in sugar and fat. But remember that eating too much can contribute to weight gain, which is risky in itself.