The December issue of Eating Well magazine offers some thought-provoking information on whether you can add years to your life by making smarter food choices. Whether or not that is true, the magazine's list of foods to include often in your diet is interesting.

Here is author Peter Jaret's list of six foods that not only may keep you young, but offer other benefits as well.

1. Olive oil: We already knew that the monounsaturated fats in olive oil were responsible for low rates of heart disease and cancer on the Greek island of Crete. Now researchers know that olive oil also contains antioxidants that might help prevent age-related diseases.

2. Yogurt: We know it's rich in calcium, which helps keep osteoporosis at bay, and it has 'good bacteria' that help maintain gut health.

3. Fish: An abundant source of omega-3 fats, which help prevent cholesterol buildup in arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms.

4. Nuts: Nuts are rich sources of unsaturated fats, so they offer benefits similar to those associated with olive oil. They're also concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

5. Wine: Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any alcoholic beverage seems to provide such benefits, but red wine is the focus of most of the research that has been done. The resveratrol compound in red wine may activate genes that slow cellular ageing.

6. Blueberries: Back in 1999, a landmark study at Tufts University fed rats blueberry extract for a period of time that in 'rat lives' was equivalent to 10 human years. Those rats outperformed rats fed regular food on tests of balance and coordination when they reached old age. Compounds in blueberries (and other berries) mitigate inflammation and oxidative damage associated with deficits in memory and motor function in older age.

Source: Copley News/Eating Well magazine.