Longevity Diet: Discover How Healthy Eating Can Extend Your Life by a Decade

When centenarians are asked about their longevity, the common reply centers on diet. For instance, Maria Blañas Morela, the oldest known person when she passed at 117, consumed three yogurts daily. Jeanne Calment, often recognized as the oldest living person, attributed her remarkable age to olive oil, chocolate, and the occasional glass of port.

Diet plays a significant role in health and is essential for a long life. However, a better question to consider might be: “What did you avoid eating?”

For example, Lars Fadness from the University of Bergen in Norway and colleagues analyzed research from the global burden of disease report. Their findings indicate that a conventional Western diet—characterized by lower intake of refined grains, sugar, red and processed meats, and dairies, alongside lesser fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish—is not conducive to longevity. In fact, such diets contribute to approximately 11 million early deaths annually.

Researchers modeled the life expectancy impact of dietary changes, showing that if a typical 20-year-old woman in the US shifts to a diet focused on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and fish, her life expectancy could rise from 80 to 89. Similarly, a 20-year-old man making the same dietary switch would see an increase from 76 to 86.

“Increasing whole grains, nuts, and legumes while minimizing processed and red meat can significantly improve health,” Fadness notes.

Even if you’re past 20, there’s still value in changing your habits. For instance, a 60-year-old woman switching to this healthier lifestyle could gain over seven extra years, raising her life expectancy from 81.6 to 89.

Fadness also detailed how transitioning towards a diet less aligned with Western standards can extend life expectancy, albeit to a lesser degree than complete dietary optimization.

While these are theoretical models, real-world data supports the premise that diet plays a significant role in health over the years.

Last year, Zhaoli Dai-Keller and her team at the University of New South Wales investigated the nutritional habits of thousands of people aged 95 and older, focusing on individuals from community environments in East Asia, Australia, and Western Europe. These individuals have successfully aged, and their dietary patterns revealed valuable insights.

Avoid Excess Salt

The study found that those individuals exemplified dietary virtues. They consumed significantly less alcohol and adhered to a balanced, diverse diet featuring primarily fruits, vegetables, white meat, fish, and legumes. Notably, Dai-Keller highlighted, “Salt intake was notably lower among centenarians.” High salt consumption is linked to cardiovascular diseases, a leading cause of death globally.

In a related study, Anne Julie Tessier and Marta Guasch-Ferré from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, reexamined data from two extensive studies that tracked over 105,000 individuals spanning three decades, searching for evidence of healthy aging, defined as reaching age 70 free from major chronic diseases and maintaining physical and mental acuity.

Only about 10% of participants met these criteria. Analysis showed that a key commonality among those who reached this goal was dietary habits, with the majority consistently following a Mediterranean diet during middle age. In contrast, those who indulged in fatty, salty, and meaty diets did not fare as well in aging healthily.

While reaching the age of 70 in good health does not guarantee a lifespan of 100, it certainly helps.

So, how much does body weight influence longevity, beyond simply what you eat? According to a 2024 study led by Dai-Keller, one defining characteristic of those over 95 is that they tend to be slender. Approximately half maintained normal weight, while a third experienced weight loss.

Weight and Daily Activities

Obesity does not appear to be a conducive factor for reaching 100 years. However, research showed that being overweight, as opposed to being obese, was beneficial for daily functions compared to maintaining a normal weight. Additionally, being underweight increased the risk of disability by about 25%.

This discussion leads us to calorie restriction, a method sometimes recommended for promoting longevity. One of the most reliable ways to prolong the lifespan of laboratory animals is to reduce caloric intake by over 25%. However, this is challenging for humans, and calorie restriction is yet to be proven effective in extending human lifespan. Even if it does extend life, it may compromise the ability to perform daily tasks.

In conclusion, to enhance your chances of living to 100 in optimal health, consider the crucial elements on your plate.