5 foods to limit and foods to eat for a healthy and long life.
According to experts, ideally, a diet that prolongs life should be primarily vegan, with less fruit and more vegetables, and include legumes, nuts, and fish. Safe fasting also contributes to longevity.
Professor Valter Longo has been researching longevity in Italy for almost 20 years. In 1989, he officially began researching what is necessary to live to 100 years old and beyond.
Currently, he is the Director of the Cancer and Longevity Laboratory at the IFOM Institute for Molecular Cancer in Milan, Italy. He is also the Director of the Longevity Institute, University of Southern California-Los Angeles (USA).
Italy is the perfect place for Longo's work, as it is home to several regions where people live longer than most, including Sardinia, one of the first areas longevity researcher Dan Buettner designated as a "blue zone".
One of Dr. Longo's biggest takeaways from his research is that "diet is the most important factor."
The best way to eat to live longer.
Here's what this expert says about the best way to eat to live longer.
Dr. Longo toldCNBC Make a"The longevity diet I propose is derived from various diets, including the Okinawan diet and the Mediterranean diet."
According to him, ideally, a diet that prolongs life would follow these characteristics:
- Primarily vegan
Numerous scientific studies have proven the health benefits of a vegetarian diet, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. A vegetarian diet uses more fruits and vegetables and is lower in fat and cholesterol than a meat-based diet.
However, if not done properly and with a balanced diet, vegetarianism can lead to nutrient deficiencies, especially for nutrients like protein, calcium, and vitamin B12. Deficiencies in these nutrients can lead to other health problems such as anemia, osteoporosis, and malnutrition.
Vegetables rich in fiber offer many health benefits. Photo: NP
- Eat less fruit but eat more vegetables.
Eating leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale supports brain health. Foods high in fiber are associated with a reduced risk of developing depression.
They also contain many essential nutrients including vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, iron, vitamin K, potassium, and calcium. Leafy greens can easily be mixed into salads with other nutritious vegetables and fruits.
- Leguminous plants
You should eat beans daily to boost your immune system. They are rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, and minerals such as magnesium and iron. Some types of beans you can consider adding to your meals are lentils, black beans, mung beans, soybeans, lima beans, kidney beans, etc.
The high fiber content in beans also makes them a great choice for a healthy brain.
According to the Clinical Nutrition Center at K Hospital, legumes contain phenolic compounds and indigestible fermentable components that have anti-inflammatory effects.
Their peels contain anthocyanin compounds along with a high content of soluble fiber with a low glycemic index. This helps reduce glucose absorption in humans and lower blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.
- Nuts
Nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help keep your brain cells healthy and reduce inflammation.
Sunflower seeds are also one of the best plant-based sources of vitamin B5. Nuts, especially hazelnuts and walnuts, are also rich in polyphenols. Foods rich in polyphenols are extremely important because they have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- Whole grain cereals
Whole grains are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which offer benefits for the digestive system.
It is also a very diverse food in terms of nutrients, including B vitamins, notably niacin, thiamine, and folate; minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium, and manganese; easily absorbed plant-based proteins; and a group of plant compounds including polyphenols, stanols, and sterols…
These substances help address the body's nutritional needs; they participate in a wide range of vital functions, ensuring that these functions operate optimally.
Salmon provides many B vitamins that are very good for health. (Illustration photo: N. Phuong)
Eat fish 3 or 4 times a week.
Salmon is favored by experts because it is rich in B vitamins, which are very good for brain health. Fish and shellfish have lower cholesterol levels than red meat and are a better choice for a healthy heart.
5 types of food you should limit
For people aged 20 to 70, he also recommended that they avoid red meat, avoid white meat, eat a maximum of 2 or 3 eggs per week, and consume very little cheese and very few animal products.
Dr. Longo suggests you limit your intake of five types of food:
- French fries.
- Pasta.
- Pizza.
- Protein.
- Bread.
"I think they are very good ingredients. But the problem is that people eat too much of them and they are converted into sugar very quickly, almost as quickly as table sugar," said Dr. Longo.
Furthermore, he also believed that fasting safely could contribute to longevity. He recommended fasting for 12 hours each day. For example, you could eat from 8 am to 8 pm or 7 am to 7 pm.
He suggests that you should follow a Fasting-Mimicking Diet (FMD) five days a week. This diet works by effectively tricking the body into thinking it's fasting while allowing some food intake. This diet means high in unsaturated fats and low in calories, protein, and carbohydrates overall.
A recent study published in Nature Communications (of which Dr. Longo is the author) found that the health of mice adhering to the above diet was associated with reduced biological age and a decreased risk of developing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Dr. Longo said: "Those periods of fasting are probably key to maintaining bodily function and helping you stay younger longer."
