The Guardian

Fruit, veg and family life – why Spaniards are living longer

Spain is on course to become home to the world’s longest-lived people, with researchers crediting diet and lifestyle
According to a study, people in Spain will have an average lifespan of 85.8 years by 2040. Photograph: Godong/UIG/Rex/Shutterstock

The Mercado de Maravillas lives up to its name. Should you ever find yourself in Madrid and desperate to buy half a kilo of pigs’ ears, a pair of fluffy slippers, a whole beef heart, a poncho, a jar of Peruvian chilli sauce and a bottle of good, strong bleach all under one roof, the stallholders of the Market of Wonders will be happy to oblige.

Its most life-enhancing marvels, however, may lie in the piles of neatly stacked fruit and vegetables, the bags of nuts and in the treasuries of fish reclining, dead-eyed but odourless, on beds of ice.

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