There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but certain dietary patterns are more associated with longer lives than others.
If hit podcasts, best-selling books and influencer culture are any indication, millions of people are obsessed with longevity.
But just as important as your life span is your health span, or the number of years you live in good health, said Susan B. Roberts, the senior associate dean for research at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
The length and quality of your life will be determined in part by your genetics, she said. But how you live your life is important, too, including how much you exercise and sleep, whether you drink excessively or smoke — and how you eat, Dr. Roberts said.
Eating for longevity isn’t an exact science, of course. It’s unrealistic, and possibly unethical, for researchers to ask people to faithfully follow various diets for decades and then see how their lives turn out, said Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
But researchers can look for associations between people’s dietary habits and their long-term health, he said.
Here are the best clues we have for how to eat for a long and healthy life.
Prioritize protein, especially from plants.
Research suggests that those who consume more protein tend to live longer and stay stronger and healthier later in life than those who consume less.