How Does Healthy Eating Extend Longevity?

Longevity and good health are goals for many people. Nowadays, many individuals are trying to change their lifestyles and dietary habits to extend their lifespan and enhance their quality of life. So, how does healthy eating affect your longevity?

1. How Does Diet Impact Longevity?

Eating is one of the basic and crucial needs for humans. Through eating, the body receives essential nutrients that provide energy for fundamental activities as well as physical and mental functions. Therefore, diet plays a significant role in both health and longevity.

Non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and other conditions, are leading causes of death in Vietnam today. An unhealthy diet can increase the risk of these diseases, their complications, and the likelihood of death from them.

Diet can increase the risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases because:

• Obesity raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes, and both obesity and diabetes are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
• High blood pressure (hypertension) is more common among people who consume a lot of salt and are obese.
• Diet affects cholesterol levels, leading to dyslipidemia and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease due to atherosclerosis.
• Studies show that not eating enough fruits, vegetables, and fiber can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Therefore, an unhealthy diet increases the risk of chronic diseases and mortality rates, leading to reduced longevity and quality of life.

2. How Does Healthy Eating Extend Longevity?

Many studies have shown that a healthy diet can effectively extend your lifespan if you follow healthy eating patterns. By adopting a nutritious diet and incorporating longevity-promoting foods, you can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and obesity, while also improving your mood, brain health, memory, and cognitive function. All these factors contribute to increasing your longevity.

Research indicates that diets rich in nuts, legumes, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables can lower mortality risk. In a study published in 2023, researchers tracked the dietary habits of over 120,000 people for more than 30 years. The study found that individuals who consumed more of these foods had a lower likelihood of dying from cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurological disorders, and respiratory conditions.

These foods provide the body with antioxidants, fiber, minerals, and vitamins, which support and enhance overall health. A healthy diet that includes these nutrients can help manage weight and reduce the risk of diseases associated with premature death.

3. How to Eat Healthily to Extend Longevity

Your diet can have either a positive or negative impact on your health and longevity, depending on how scientifically and healthily you approach it. So, how can you eat in a way that extends your life, and what longevity-promoting foods should you include in your daily diet?

If you are dealing with chronic conditions that could affect your health and longevity or if you are looking to improve your diet to extend your lifespan, you should actively explore suitable solutions to effectively and safely enhance your longevity. Here are some healthy eating practices that can help extend your life:

3.1 Include More Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables and fruits are among the foods that can extend your life. Eating more vegetables and fruits is one of the most important and impactful habits you can adopt. Many people currently include relatively few vegetables and fruits in their daily diet.

Studies have found that increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of death from all causes, including heart disease and cancer. The goal is to consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. More is better, but beyond this level, the risk of death may not decrease further.

Aim to include two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables daily, with each cup being roughly the size of a tennis ball. Here are some tips:

• Add fresh fruit, such as sliced apples or oranges, to salads and stir-fry recipes.
• Eat one cup of vegetables at lunch and two cups at dinner.
• Make smoothies with a handful of leafy greens and a cup of frozen berries.
• Try to make it a habit to include one cup of fruit at breakfast and another cup as a daily snack.

3.2 Increase Nuts and Nut Butters

Nuts are a rich source of essential nutrients, including healthy fats, plant-based proteins, antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and important minerals like potassium and magnesium. Therefore, nuts are also one of the longevity-promoting foods you should include in your daily diet.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. A study published in 2020 found that increasing nut consumption contributed to a reduction in some signs of metabolic syndrome, such as weight and body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, triglyceride levels, and systolic blood pressure. HDL cholesterol (good fat) also increased in women but not in men.

Enjoy a serving of nuts, which is about 30 grams or a quarter cup. Two tablespoons of nut butter also count as one serving. You can enjoy nuts and nut butters in the following ways:

• Add nuts to stir-fries or salads to both increase vegetable intake and add nuts.
• Use nut flours for baking or in pancakes.
• Crush nuts to use as a breading for fish or to garnish dishes like mashed cauliflower or lentil soup.
• Dip fresh fruit or celery into nut butter.
• Stir nut butter into smoothies or oatmeal.

3.3 Meatless Meals

You can incorporate plant-based meals into your diet more than once a week to extend your lifespan. Research has found that a vegetarian diet is significantly associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Thus, one of the ways to enhance longevity through diet is by reducing and replacing red meat intake.

A study published in 2022 identified that by reducing the consumption of red and processed meats, people can achieve the greatest increase in life expectancy.

In a 2016 study, researchers described five regions of the world where people live the longest and healthiest lives. Known as Blue Zones, these regions are diverse and span areas from Okinawa, Japan to Ikaria, Greece.

A common trait they share is a plant-based diet, with legumes and lentils as staples. Meat is eaten about five times per month in portions ranging from 90 to 120 grams.

The only Blue Zone in the United States is in Loma Linda, California, which has the highest concentration of Seventh-day Adventists. This population, known for their primarily plant-based diet, lives on average 10 years longer than their peers in North America.

Therefore, replace meat in your meals with legumes such as chickpeas, peas, lentils, and other types of beans. Here are some ways to incorporate meatless meals for maximum benefit:

• Increase dishes made from beans, such as Indian chickpea curry or Ethiopian lentil stew.
• Opt for lentil or black bean soup instead of adding chicken to your salad.
• Snack on vegetables with hummus instead of dried meat.
• Use black beans in stir-fry instead of meat.

3.4 The Mediterranean Diet

An overall diet, rather than a single food or food group, is key to longevity. The Mediterranean diet remains one of the gold standards for living a longer, healthier life. It is one of the longevity-promoting diets widely recognized by researchers.

This diet is characterized by a high intake of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats from nuts, olive oil, and avocados, herbs and spices, legumes, and whole grains.

Consuming seafood a few times a week and moderate intake of dairy products, eggs, and wine are also part of the Mediterranean diet. This diet limits meat and sweets.

Telomeres, found at the ends of chromosomes, protect DNA, and their length is one of the common measures of longevity at the cellular level. When telomeres become too short, cells age or malfunction. Shorter telomeres are associated with reduced lifespan and increased risk of chronic diseases.

A study found that higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with longevity by maintaining longer telomere length. The study authors suggest that the risk of death from any cause decreases by 4% to 7% for each point increase in the Mediterranean diet score, which measures adherence to the diet.

Here are some ways to prepare Mediterranean-style meals:

• Keep meals simple: Dinner can consist of fish served on a bed of greens drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, accompanied by roasted potatoes or quinoa and a glass of red wine.
• Swap butter for nut butter or avocado on toast, and use extra virgin olive oil for sautéing vegetables.
• Snack on fresh fruit with nuts, olives, or roasted chickpeas.

3.5 Green Tea Supplementation

There is no research definitively proving that drinking green tea will help you live longer. However, there does seem to be some connection between longevity and green tea consumption.

Numerous studies have linked green tea to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and obesity. A review published in 2022 found that those who consumed the most green tea had lower rates of disease and a reduced risk of death from heart disease and stroke.

Make sure to drink green tea at least six hours before bedtime to avoid disrupting your sleep quality or duration. Here are some ways to incorporate green tea into your diet:

• Enjoy matcha, a powdered form of green tea.
• Add green tea to soups, stews, sauces, and marinades.
• Use green tea as a liquid base for smoothies, oatmeal, overnight oats, or for steaming vegetables or brown rice.

In addition to healthy eating habits that promote longevity, it’s important to avoid certain foods that can shorten your lifespan. It’s not just about eating longevity-promoting foods but also about limiting specific types of food. You can occasionally enjoy your favorite dishes, but it’s essential to do so in moderation. Foods and beverages to limit or avoid for a longer life include:

• Added sugars (e.g., cakes, candies, cookies, ice cream, and soda)
• Alcohol
• High-sodium foods
• Saturated fats (e.g., butter, cheese, palm oil, coconut oil, processed meats, and red meat)

Source: https://www.health.com/nutrition/longevity-diet

This article has provided insight into how a healthy diet can extend your lifespan. You should take proactive steps to improve your health early by adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet to boost your overall well-being, longevity, and quality of life.

References: health.harvard.edu, health.com