Discover How Many Years You Can Add to Your Life by Adjusting Your Diet

The topic of longevity has intrigued humanity since time immemorial. From historical records, we know about alchemists' efforts to find the elixir of life; in modern society, which is based on knowledge, it is the ongoing effort of scientists to seek ways to extend life. Research shows that the length of human life has its limits. [1]

Many factors play a role; alongside genetics, these include:

- The environment in which we live,

- The degree of stress we endure,

- Diseases that trouble us, including methods of their treatment (e.g., side effects of medications used),

- The diet we have on our plate over the long term.

Not only the general public but also experts focus on the quality of diet, believing that so-called healthy eating can prolong life by a few years. The long-standing problem lies in the fact that there is no consensus on what healthy eating should look like. Each food has a wide range of properties and nutritional characteristics that somehow affect metabolic behavior and thus have an impact on health to some extent. Determining the optimal amount of representatives of various food groups on a plate, including their combinations, is highly complex. Defining this in relation to individual uniqueness is almost impossible.
Nevertheless, scientists have achieved a remarkable feat in this area—they developed a model attempting to predict how food choices influence expected life span. [2] Similar attempts have appeared in the past, but the model published by Norwegian scientists is exceptional because it is a meta-analysis, meaning it includes the results of previously published studies. Therefore, it deals with a much larger set of data, resulting in greater credibility than standalone studies.

The system they developed estimates changes in life span concerning the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, refined grains, nuts, legumes, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, red meat, processed meat products, fish, white meat, plant-based fats, and sugar-sweetened beverages.

The researchers found that a young adult could extend their lifespan by more than ten years. The condition is a transition from a typical Western diet to an "optimized" diet, defined by higher intake of whole grain products, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and a reduction in the consumption of red and industrially processed meats. Additionally, the duration of healthy eating substantially impacts life extension. The sooner the change begins, the greater the effect.

The calculator works on a simple principle:

- First, it is necessary to analyze one's diet to identify the average amount of different foods on the daily plate (whole grain products, fish, processed meats, eggs, nuts, legumes...).
A straightforward food tracking system is offered, for example, by the ZOF app.

- Based on the dietary changes one decides to make, the program calculates, in relation to age and gender, how much life can be extended on average by such adjustments.

The results of this research highlight an interesting finding—the greatest impact on life span comes from the long-term consumption of higher amounts of legumes, whole grains, and nuts.

If you are an enthusiast of healthy eating, you can calculate the potential extension of your life here.