There is overwhelming evidence that calorie deficit kills millions of people worldwide every year. However, overeating can be just as detrimental to life expectancy. The dietary pattern focus combines several dietary patterns independently associated with longer life. Experts suggest that this could extend life expectancy by decades.
The findings, published in the journal Cell, are based on a study by a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Their research combines decades of research into various dietary interventions, such as calorie restriction, and knowledge about the health benefits of different food groups. It also uses available data from populations living in blue zone longevity hotspots.
Speaking to New Scientist, Walter Longo of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles said: “It would be associated with a huge effect.
You’re left to get 15 to 20 years’ worth of changes in life expectancy.” The key components of the Longevity Diet are sufficient calorie restriction to stay lean, a daily regimen of moderately restricted eating, and several five-day fasting cycles each year, as well as a mostly plant-based diet.
The meal plan can be broken down into a six-step plan that includes measures to keep blood sugar levels healthy and to shut down the body’s central aging system, reports New Scientist.
The six steps are as follows:
- The diet suggests that calorie intake should be restricted to maintain a body mass index of 22 to 23 for men and 21 to 22 for women.
- Second, the diet should include mostly whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Meat intake should be limited to reduce exposure to the amino acid methionine, but fish should be included.
- Unrefined complex carbohydrates should make up between 45 to 60 percent of calories, 10 to 15 percent of plant protein should come from plant sources, and 25 to 35 percent of fat should also be plant-based.
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Recent studies show that switching to an optimal diet at age 20 and sticking to it can extend life expectancy by more than 10 years for women and 13 years for men.
Switching to the diet at age 60 can also add eight years to life, with 80-year-olds gaining an extra 3.4 years.
Lars Fadnes, who led the optimal diet study, told New Scientist: “We haven’t gotten into the mechanisms, but our hypothesis is that longer life expectancy is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease and to some extent a reduction in cancer risk.” “
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