Longevity Diet
A healthy diet is the key to long and active life. What does it take to live a hundred years? Nutritionists assure that the secret of longevity is in a healthy and nutritious diet (1). Nutrition is an important process for our body and if you want to live, you must eat. As a result of this process, we get energy, building blocks for the renewal (growth) of the body and biologically active nutrients influencing on our physical and mental health.
In order to feed yourself and your loved ones with healthy food, it is enough to follow a few rules on which all modern dietetics is based. In this article, we outline key healthy eating tips everyone should consider when creating a daily diet plan.
Tip # 1: Take care of your heart
First, keep the saturated fat in meat and fatty dairy products to a minimum. They are harmful primarily because they significantly raise blood cholesterol levels and later lead to problems with the circulatory system (2).
What should you eat to avoid heart problems? First of all, a lot of vegetables and fruits. They are low in calories and high in nutrients - vitamins and minerals that will undoubtedly prevent heart disease.
It’s also worth eating whole grains - bread, pasta, groats, oatmeal and rice. Many of them contain ingredients that are beneficial for health and the proper functioning of the body. Research shows that bypassing white bread and replacing it with whole grains, the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes is also reduced.
To keep your heart healthy, eat nuts. They contain healthy plant fats and antioxidants that will protect them. However, remember to choose the least processed ones and without the addition of salt.
Tip #2: Take care of your brain
Your brain will work better if your diet is high in unsaturated fats and whole grains. They will not only protect you from memory loss or deterioration and dementia, but also improve your concentration and overall mental health (3).
Antioxidants are also beneficial for the proper functioning of the brain. They protect cells against degeneration and help rebuild them. Their wealth is found in blueberries and blueberries, nuts and grapefruit juice.
Add more fish, seafood, and seeds, such as linseed to your diet. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that not only support proper brain function, but also prevent cardiovascular diseases and help fight depression.
If you want to enjoy a long and active life, give up salt. Eliminating salt has an indirect effect on the brain health. Salt raises your blood pressure, which damages your blood vessels over time. Poorly functioning veins cannot supply the brain with enough oxygen and nutrients. The gray cells start dying off, causing problems with memory and concentration.
Also, the latest research shows that coffee can have a positive effect on the brain (4). People who drank coffee at the age of 30-40 suffer from dementia much less frequently (3-4 cups of coffee reduced the risk of the disease by up to 65%). Other studies have shown that drinking coffee can even prevent the development of type 2 diabetes (5).
Tip #3: Take care of your bones
Older people often have problems with the skeletal system. With age, it becomes more and more difficult for them to move, which greatly affects the quality of life. What's more, bones are no longer fusing as they used to be, so each fall is a risk of serious trauma followed by weeks of recovery.
To avoid problems with the skeletal system, eat dairy products. They contain a lot of calcium which will strengthen your bones. What's more, milk and yoghurt are also rich in many vitamins, including vitamin D that help absorb calcium and make bones stronger. Another good and healthy source of this nutrient is green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli.
Tip #4: Control your calorie intake
Not only the quality of the food is important, but the quantity as well. Eating too many calories is not healthy. Obese and overweight people are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases and are more likely to develop cancer and dementia (6). To avoid such health problems, it’s not advisable to consume more calories than your body needs. Clinical trials have confirmed the effectiveness of such approach.
Eating well is the key to long and active life. However, it is not enough to plan the menu in terms of healthy products, you should also focus on the energy balance. The amount of calories consumed should not be too high, it is even advisable to slightly restrict the calorie intake. Then, less free radicals are produced and, as a result, the aging process progresses at a slower pace. In addition, the risk of developing of various diseases and depression is reduced (7).
Tip #5: Learn from centenarians of Blue Zones
There are special geographical regions, whose inhabitants are distinguished by a high life expectancy, as well as the ability to maintain an active lifestyle beyond the age of 80-90 years. Such regions are called "Blue zones" - these include, for example, Ogliastra in Sardinia, Loma Linda in California, Ikaria in Greece and Okinawa in Japan (8). Research results show that a balanced diet is one of the most important factors in the active longevity of residents of blue zones (9). Here are 6 key points from the "Blue Zones" diet that help a person stay healthy and physically active for years (9-10):
· no overeating - the inhabitants of the blue zones follow the rules of overeating up to 80%, i.e. ending a meal with a slight sense of insufficiency,
· large breakfast, medium lunch and a small dinner - centenarians eat most of the calories in the first half of the day, and breakfast is often the largest meal,
· no processed products - the observed people feed similarly to what they did 50, 60 or even 70 years ago. They don't eat processed, prepackaged food. They bake bread on their own, and obtain most of the vegetables and fruit from their own gardens or from the local community,
· family meals without rush - meals are eaten together with the family, without distracting attention to the TV or computer,
· plant products - the diet of centenarians consists of plants on up to 95%. They eat meat or fish only a few times a month. Cow's milk is replaced by soybean drink or goat's milk (which is also consumed in limited amounts).
· coffee, tea, water or wine - in the Blue Zones they don’t drink carbonated drinks and fruit juices. Locals drink coffee, tea or wine with meals, and water between meals.
References:
1. Ekmekcioglu C. (2020). Nutrition and longevity - From mechanisms to uncertainties. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 60(18), 3063–3082.
2. Siri-Tarino, P. W., Sun, Q., Hu, F. B., & Krauss, R. M. (2010). Saturated fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease: modulation by replacement nutrients. Current atherosclerosis reports, 12(6), 384–390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-010-0131-6
3. Morris M. C. (2016). Nutrition and risk of dementia: overview and methodological issues. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1367(1), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13047
4. Nehlig A. (2016). Effects of coffee/caffeine on brain health and disease: What should I tell my patients?. Practical neurology, 16(2), 89–95. https://doi.org/10.1136/practneurol-2015-001162
5. Muley, A., Muley, P., & Shah, M. (2012). Coffee to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes?: a systematic review. Current diabetes reviews, 8(3), 162–168. https://doi.org/10.2174/157339912800564016
6. Longo, V. D., & Fontana, L. (2010). Calorie restriction and cancer prevention: metabolic and molecular mechanisms. Trends in pharmacological sciences, 31(2), 89–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tips.2009.11.004
7. Manchishi, S. M., Cui, R. J., Zou, X. H., Cheng, Z. Q., & Li, B. J. (2018). Effect of caloric restriction on depression. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine, 22(5), 2528–2535. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcmm.13418
8. Poulain, M., Herm, A., & Pes, G. (2013). The Blue Zones: areas of exceptional longevity around the world. Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, 87-108.
9. Ansello, E. F. (2019). Blue Zones and Longevity.
10. Poulain, M., Herm, A., Errigo, A., Chrysohoou, C., Legrand, R., Passarino, G., ... & Pes, G. M. (2021). Specific features of the oldest old from the Longevity Blue Zones in Ikaria and Sardinia. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 198, 111543.
