80-летняя Джоанна Лумли призналась, что 40 лет не болеет благодаря вегетарианству

Joanna Lumley, 80, 'rarely feels ill' after cutting out common foods from diet The Ab Fab star says cutting out one type of food has kept her feeling great into her older years Dame Joanna Lumley proved that age is just a number after sharing that a dietary change helped her feel her best for years. The national treasure previously claimed that making the one food swap took some getting used to, but with the range of options now available in supermarkets, it is easier than ever to maintain this lifestyle choice. The Absolutely Fabulous icon said her secret did not come from a pricey programme or punishing gym plan, but a long-running decision to cut meat and fish from her diet. She has previously claimed that making the dietary change helped her 'avoid feeling ill for decades'. Joanna Lumley first made her comment about being vegetarian and "never ill" in a 2021 interview with the magazine Woman's Way. When asked about her health and youthful energy, she stated: "I've been a vegetarian for more than 40 years and I'm never ill. The diet I love best is: eat stuff, mostly vegetables, not too much." While the UK’s plant-based scene is currently full of options, Lumley’s been quietly living it since the late 1970s. She insisted it’s never been about being perfect - and accepts the choice was initially hard when people didn't understand or accommodate as they do now. She has since spoken before about how much she loves raw salads and small, veg-packed plates instead of heavy dinners. She did admit during an episode of Waitrose's Dish podcast hosted by Radio DJ Nick Grimshaw and celebrity chef Angela Hartnett that there’s one line she won’t cross - she can’t give up dairy, because she’s far too fond of cheese. Her early days of going meat-free, though, were a lot less glamorous than her red-carpet image suggests. She’s joked that baffled hosts would "panic-cook" and slap down dense, eggy lasagnes that felt like edible building blocks. But she said it's a different world now, with meat-free options everywhere and people far more used to catering for vegetarians. Lumley says she’s genuinely touched when someone makes the effort to put a veggie meal on the table, because she remembers how awkward it used to be. Experts say plant-heavy diets can bring real health benefits, including lowering the risk of heart disease, some cancers and type 2 diabetes. They also point to the skin-friendly vitamins and nutrients in fruit and veg, plus the fact that swapping heavy meals for lighter choices can help some people lose weight. Science shows that loading up on raw salads delivers powerful plant chemicals called polyphenols straight to your skin. These vital nutrients can help protect cells from damage while keeping obesity completely at bay. But specialists also warn that going meat-free doesn’t automatically make you immune to every cold and flu doing the rounds. To keep your body ticking over properly, they say vegetarians still need a balanced diet that covers key nutrients. What is prosopagnosia? Joanna Lumley has prosopagnosia, which is a brain condition that makes it hard for her to recognise faces she knows. This condition is often called face blindness. Discussing her condition with Vernon Kay on BBC Radio 2, she shared: "I've got this weird thing with faces, I’ve got face blindness. It's called prosopagnosia."