A scientist's list: 6 research-backed eating strategies to slow down aging

If you thought you could get out of eating more plants, guess again. Research reinforces it!Photo: Shutterstock

In a weird way, eating for longevity is a relatively new concept for humankind. Just 100 years ago, the average life expectancy was around 60 years old. And that was in the U.S. Across the globe, the life expectancy back then was more like 40. So, aging, or at least the way we know it now, wasn't really a thing. Now, the life expectancy is much higher. In 2024, it reached a record high in the U.S. with an average of 79 years old (a little longer if you're a woman). 

So, now that we're lugging these bodies around for additional decades, it's become pretty obvious that quality of life matters, a lot. Wellness has been rising as an industry that's just as susceptible to snake oil, conflicting research, oversimplifications, and commercial co-opting of solid dietary ideas as any other concept in this century. 

However, science does exist that provides some compelling reasons to think about a handful of "eating strategies" to keep your body running longer, as found in a recent BBC Science Focus post by London-based scientist Andrew Steele, author of Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old. 

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Steele writes: "Some scientists estimate that switching from a typical U.S. or U.K. diet to an 'optimal' diet could add anything from a few years to a decade of life expectancy. ... All this means that we've got pretty compelling evidence that what we eat can have an effect on the aging process. It may be possible, in other words, to eat smarter and live longer as a result."

Here are the strategies Steele has determined to be scientifically sound:

Chemicals to know (but not to obsess over)

Natural molecules found in food could have anti-aging properties. Curcumin is the most familiar in recent times, with a reputation for the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric. (Hello, healthy curries!) Other lesser-known chemicals include spermidine, which is found in soybeans, mushrooms and cheddar cheese. Other chemical showing anti-aging promise: quercetin, found in elderberries, red cabbage and dark chocolate; and fisetin, which is found in strawberries. Steele offers a word of caution with these: "There's no such thing as a 'superfood' and singling out this, that or the other magic molecule as a health-giving elixir that means we should all binge on a particular berry is bad, reductive science."

Greens and grains

The sooner we all make peace with the childhood commandment of "eat your veggies," the longer we can live. The "biggest takeaway" from two major studies into diet and life expectancy, was that "we should eat more vegetables and plant based foods," Steele writes. Specifically, more whole grains (like brown rice), legumes and nuts could add years to life expectancy. Conversely, the studies he's referring to found a negative impact related to too much red and processed meat and sugary drinks.

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Protein is good, plant-based protein is even better

Steele points to a huge review of 32 studies that looked at protein consumption and found that higher protein consumption decreases risk of death overall, "although a diet that substitutes plant protein (nuts, seeds, legumes and soy) for meat protein could be associated with longevity."

A healthy diet that works for you is the best weight-loss diet

Visceral fat is very bad for your body. And inflammation isn't great, either. These are both the results of being overweight, which can hurt life expectancy. Visceral fat is the kind that builds up between the organs inside your body, and, Steele writes, "emits a cocktail of inflammatory molecules that can speed up the aging process." Inflammation "is both a cause and consequence of aging, so being overweight is a little like aging at an accelerated rate." Steele has found that scientifically there's no real difference between using a low-fat or a low-carb diet to shed pounds, stating "as long as you eat less, it doesn't matter exactly what it is. Find something that's healthy and works for you, rather than worrying what the perfect weight-loss diet may be."

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Fasting is not it

You'll find many internet street preachers going on and on about fasting. And sure, it works for them, maybe. The science is not remotely onboard with fasting at this point, though, Steele writes: "The handful of studies carried out in actual humans have been too short to give a clear answer." In a bit of dark British humor, Steele quips: "While dietary restriction probably won't make you live longer, it will certainly feel like it." Intermittent fasting can work in the short-term, but "studies show that people who fast can lose a greater percentage of muscle mass than people adhering to a consistent low-calorie diet. Since strong muscles are critical for health while aging, this is potentially a reg flag."

We don't know if weight-loss drugs will boost longevity yet

"While [semaglutide] is currently used by humans to curb appetite, it's also been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in old age," Steele writes. "Yet whether these effects are health-improving, anti-aging or just side-effects of the weight loss it causes needs further investigation." He again cautioned against sketchy online gurus and influencers trying to sell you something. Steele writes that he hopes ultimately research into aging biology will give humanity the gift of "freedom from endless fad diets, and the dodgy doctors and health influencers peddling them."

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