The Longevity Diet: Eating Your Way To A Longer Life & Healthspan

Are Foods The Pathway To Long Life?

W ithin nutrition circles, diet has long been linked with better health outcomes. Most people are aware that eating a meal plan loaded with fatty or fried foods is bad for the heart and can even cause cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other medical conditions. However, some people believe that not just what is eaten but when food is consumed can also influence health outcomes. In particular, the Italian biologist and researcher Valter Longo crafted the longevity diet and swears that this method is the key to long life and health.

Valter Longo and the longevity diet

Valter Longo is an Italian biologist and professor of gerontology and biological sciences specializing in research on fasting, nutrition diets, and chronic diseases. After performing extensive clinical trials and using epidemiology, the scientist noted a common thread in the research. Individuals who tended to follow certain dietary patterns and food choices lived longer and enjoyed better health than respondents who didn’t. As a result, the longevity diet was formed.

An overview of the longevity diet

Simply put, the longevity diet is a lifestyle change and not a quick fix. The plan combines a tailored menu with modified fasting that’s performed intermittently throughout the year. Food plans are primarily plant-based but incorporate lean animal protein, like fatty fish, over land animals. However, the diet centers on two meals a day with a light snack, all to be eaten within a 12-hour window. Because of the time restriction, the plan can easily be adopted by intermittent fasters.

Benefits of the diet

Since the longevity diet prioritizes plants even for fat sources, preliminary research suggests that this lifestyle could yield positive results in a variety of ways. While the diet isn’t explicitly designed as a weight loss strategy, the emphasis on healthier lean food choices, along with the inherently lower caloric intake from two meals a day, can help some people lose weight if that’s a goal. Likewise, research suggests that shifting from red meat-heavy meal plans and instead adopting more nutrient-rich options can add anywhere from 3-13 years to a person’s life.

Improved health outcomes

Although the longevity diet as a formal meal plan and lifestyle method is fairly new, many of the core underlying principles have long been proven effective for improving a person’s health. For example, dietary choices that focus on produce and fish over red meat are inherently heart-healthy. A recent study supports this claim by proving that getting 5 daily servings of fruits or vegetables reduces a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Choosing salmon has similar effects with omega-3 fatty acids lowering blood pressure. Additionally, minimizing or eliminating meat intake has also been associated with a lower risk of cancer and developing type 2 diabetes.

Is the longevity diet the way to go?

Ultimately, people are always encouraged to speak with a health professional like a dietician or physician before adopting any new meal plans. Individual dietary plans should always be catered to a person’s unique health concerns or nutritional needs. Still, while direct research on the longevity diet is still in the early stages, existing research tends to support many of the claims made by the plan’s creator, Valtar Longo.