As autumn looms nearer, so, too, do the dreaded seasonal colds and flu. So, what steps can you take to swerve them? Perhaps it’s time to take a health lesson from Dame Joanna Lumley, 80, who has said she’s ‘never ill’. The Ab Fab actor is, of course, famed for her energy and youthful glow… so, what’s her secret? Look no further than the food you put on your plate, she says.
‘I’ve been a vegetarian for more than 40 years and I’m never ill,’ says Dame Joanna in an interview. And she goes on to outline the three nutrition rules she swears by. ‘The diet I love best is: eat stuff, mostly vegetables, not too much.’
And exercise? ‘I have a tall, thin house and I run up and down the stairs a lot!’ she adds.
It’s not the only time Dame Joanna – who made the switch to vegetarianism in the late 70s – has shared her love of nutritious food. ‘I like raw things very much, like salads and stuff,’ she recently told Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett on their Waitrose-sponsored Dish podcast. ‘I do believe that not eating meat holds back the ageing process,’ she said. ‘But if vegetarianism is not for you, so be it. My husband Stephen isn’t a veggie, and he’s wonderful.’
Research suggests she’s on to something. A 2023 study found that adults with the healthiest plant-based diets had a 14% lower risk of being hospitalised with a respiratory infection. And a 2024 study found that vegetarians had 39% lower odds of contracting Covid than omnivores.
Being vegetarian can also help your overall health. A study released in August suggested that vegetarian or vegan diets significantly reduced total cholesterol; and according to a 2026 analysis of 1.8 million people, vegetarian diets might even help lower the risk for several cancers.