Can food really help you live longer? Inside the longevity diet

Could the key to a longer life be on your plate? With the rise of blue zone research and preventative health, many have wondered just how much our food choices influence how long (and well) we live. As a result, new eating patterns have emerged, aiming to extend people's lifespan.

One of these is the longevity diet, designed to help you live to a healthy old age and maintain both your physical and mental vitality.

So, what exactly can you eat while on the longevity diet? What foods should you avoid, and most importantly, what can this diet do for your body?

What is the longevity diet?

The longevity diet is an eating approach designed to help you live longer and healthier by reducing your risk of several age-related conditions [2].

It was developed by Dr Valter Longo, a professor of gerontology (the scientific study of ageing) and biological sciences, and director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California [1].

There are a few core principles to the longevity diet [3]:

• It focuses on plant-based foods and healthy fats (particularly olive oil), but allows 2-3 servings of low-mercury, omega-3-rich seafood per week (similar to the Mediterranean diet)
• It aims for a low but sufficient daily protein intake—around 0.8g per kilo of body weight for people under 65, and slightly more for those over 65 to help preserve muscle mass
• It encourages intermittent fasting, with a 12-hour window to eat, and recommends not eating 3-4 hours before bed
• It includes cycles of fasting-mimicking diets (FMD)—5-day, low-calorie, plant-based meal plans designed to trigger the benefits of fasting without having to stop food intake altogether

How does the longevity diet work?

The longevity diet works by targeting the biological mechanisms behind your ageing process, metabolism, and disease risk:

• Cellular repair. Periods of calorie restriction and FMD activate a process called autophagy, where your cells get rid of damaged parts and regenerate into fresh, healthier ones
• Balanced protein intake. Getting just the right amount of protein helps you maintain muscle mass without over-activating growth signals linked to accelerated ageing
• Lower metabolic stress. Intermittent fasting, paired with plant-focused meals, helps reduce insulin resistance and blood pressure

Can what you eat influence how long and how well you live?

Absolutely. What you eat can have a huge impact not only on your life expectancy, but your life quality as well—and there is research to back this:

• A study of around 8,000 people found that those aged 50 with the highest diet quality had nearly 24 years of life free from cardiometabolic disease between ages 50-85, versus roughly 21 years in those with the poorest diet quality [5]
• A UK modelling study found that for 40-year-old adults, switching from an unhealthy diet to a healthy "longevity-associated" one could increase life expectancy by up to 10 years [6]
• In a large study of over 141,000 participants, the EAT-Lancet eating approach (a flexible, plant-based diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts, very similar to the longevity diet) was linked to slower biological ageing [7]

What are the potential health benefits of the longevity diet?

The longevity diet isn’t just about living longer; it’s about living better. Here's how it supports your body and mind:

Healthy ageing

Just like the name suggests, the whole point of the longevity diet is to help you live longer. How? By supporting your body to age healthily.

The lower calorie intake helps you maintain a healthy weight, while the nutrient- and vitamin-rich foods protect your cells from damage and reduce markers of inflammation.

Over time, following these habits gives you the best chance to stay active, strong, and disease-free as you age.

Better metabolic health

As we touched on before, the longevity diet helps regulate your blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance. It can also help you lose body fat, as you turn to whole foods and become more aware of your portions.

All of these are key factors in supporting healthy cholesterol levels and preventing metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The long-term result? A healthier metabolism, higher energy levels, and better overall body function.

Lower risk of chronic disease

As a plant-forward eating pattern, the longevity diet features plenty of foods with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, from leafy greens to berries, nuts, and olive oil.

This, along with the fasting cycles and healthy protein intake, helps protect your organs and tissues from age-related damage and diseases, including:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cognitive decline

More mental clarity

Ageing healthily isn't just about your physical health—it's about your mind, too.

Following the longevity diet can help you feel mentally sharp, as you feed your brain with antioxidants, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals.

All of these help protect brain cells from oxidative stress and can help prevent cognitive decline.

Plus, having more stable blood sugar levels means fewer energy crashes. You're likely to feel more focused, alert, and clear-headed.

Can the longevity diet support weight loss and management?

Yes, the longevity diet can help you lose weight and keep it off because it combines nutrient-dense foods with mindful portioning and time-restricted eating.

All of these components make it easier to stick to a calorie deficit and, as a result, to reach and sustain a healthy weight without feeling too restricted.

Plus, although the longevity diet doesn't specifically address exercise, Dr Longo does stress its importance on his website.

He recommends daily incidental exercise and 2-2.5 hours of exercise a week, with a focus on weight training [4].

Following this advice not only helps keep your muscles strong and your weight under control, but it takes the diet’s effects on healthy ageing even further.

What are the limitations of the longevity diet?

Like any other eating approach, the longevity diet isn't perfect, and it certainly isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.

Potential drawbacks include:

• Some people may find it too restrictive. Intermittent fasting isn't for everyone, and neither is eating mostly plant foods. For very active people or those with specific dietary needs, it can be extra challenging to get enough calories and/or protein.
• It doesn't cover everything. Like we mentioned before, the longevity diet focuses mainly on nutrition and addresses exercise lightly. But it leaves out sleep and stress management, which also play a key role in your long-term health and longevity.
• Research on the longevity diet is still limited. Although it ticks a lot of “healthy diet” boxes, a lot of the research on the longevity diet is still preliminary (albeit promising) [8]. We need more research to fully understand its benefits.

Foods to include

The longevity diet prioritises nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods:

• Vegetables, especially dark, leafy greens and fibre-rich veg
• All kinds of fruits
• Legumes like beans, lentils, and chickpeas
• Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and oats
• Healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado
• 2–3 servings of low-mercury, fatty fish per week, like sardines or salmon
• Dark chocolate (in moderation)
• Herbs and spices

Foods to limit or avoid

You want to steer clear of foods with little nutritional value, or that might trigger inflammation or metabolic strain:

• Red and processed meats
• Added sugar
• Refined grains
• Fried or ultra-processed foods
• Eggs
• Dairy (although if you can't go without it, the longevity diet recommends goat's or sheep's milk instead of cow's milk)
• Saturated fats like butter and coconut oil
• Alcohol

How does the longevity diet fit into preventative health?

In a nutshell, the longevity diet fits into preventative health because it takes a proactive approach to reducing the risk of chronic disease.

Rather than waiting for your health to decline and then changing your eating habits, you use food as a tool to extend your healthy lifespan.

Of course, the longevity diet is only one piece of the puzzle. It's only by pairing it with other healthy habits that you'll reap the full benefits.

At Juniper, we believe prevention starts with insight. That's why we offer at-home blood testing for key biomarkers, helping you understand what's really going on inside your body, from metabolic health to inflammation and nutrient levels. With these insights, you can make informed choices about your diet and lifestyle, and track how those changes affect your health over time.

Combine that knowledge with the Juniper Programme, which pairs medical support with tailored nutrition guidance, and you've got a holistic approach to healthy ageing that's built to last.

It's evident how powerful nutrition can be in helping you stay strong, mentally sharp, and disease-free, no matter how old you are. And if your meals can be just as healthy and nourishing as they are delicious, why wouldn't you make the switch?

Discover your health from the inside out. Check your eligibility for the Juniper Programme here.

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