Shifting to a Plant-Rich Longevity Diet Could Add 10 Years to Your Life, UK Biobank Study Finds

Switching from an unhealthy diet to a plant-rich longevity diet at 40 and sticking with it is linked to about 10 extra years of life, a study of UK Biobank data has found.

Researchers led by Professor Lars Fadnes at the University of Bergen in Norway combined UK Biobank diet data with life tables. A sustained shift to the longevity-associated diet was linked to 10.8 extra years for men and 10.4 for women. Following the UK's Eatwell Guide gave 8.9 and 8.6 years. The biggest gains came from eating more whole grains, nuts and fruit and fewer sugary drinks and processed meats, and even people making the change at 70 could gain about five years. The study is published in Nature Food.

These are estimates from observational data. The authors write in the paper:

Our findings suggest that these food groups should be specific targets for clinicians in the guidance of patients and policymakers in developing public health policy.

It is never too late to add more oats, beans and nuts to your shopping.

The same team previously estimated that eating more beans, whole grains and nuts and less meat could add over a decade to your life, and in August a plant-based diet was linked to slower biological aging.

Here's to a long, plant-powered life!