Dietary and lifestyle habits can significantly extend life expectancy: Eating a healthy diet rich in whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and fish while limiting processed meats, red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and refined grains.
- Consuming more whole grains, nuts, and fruits and fewer sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meats significantly affect life expectancy.
- Maintaining an average body weight (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9).
- Regular physical activity includes at least 3.5 hours of moderate to vigorous weekly exercise.
- Not smoking.
- Moderate alcohol consumption (one drink or less per day for women, two drinks or less for men).
Key Findings
Studies have found that adopting all five healthy habits could extend life expectancy by over a decade compared to those who didn’t adopt them.
Specifically, women who adopted all five lived an average of 93.1 years, while men lived to 87.6 years.
Making smaller dietary shifts towards the best diet, rich in whole grains, legumes, nuts, and less processed meat and sugar, could add 6-10 years to life expectancy. This flexibility allows you to make changes at your own pace, reducing pressure and increasing your sense of control.
The most significant gains are obtained if these healthy lifestyle changes start early in life, but benefits are still seen for those making dietary improvements later in adulthood.
How Can Lifestyle Habits Affect Life Expectancy
Adopting certain lifestyle habits can significantly affect life expectancy. The critical habits found by research that can extend lifespan include:
- Being physically active regularly
- Not smoking
- Managing stress effectively
- Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet
- Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption
- Practicing good sleep hygiene
- Nurturing positive social relationships
- Avoiding opioid addiction
Specific dietary factors linked to increased longevity include:
- Moderate carbohydrate intake (40-65% of total energy) for both genders
- Higher unsaturated fat intake for women
- Consuming minimally processed foods and limiting ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats
- Maintaining a balanced gut microbiome by consuming prebiotics and probiotics
Low physical activity, opioid use, and smoking had the most substantial negative impact on lifespan, increasing mortality risk by 30-45%. However, even adopting some of these habits could benefit extending longevity. This reiteration of the positive impact of even small changes can encourage and motivate you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle.
In summary, a combination of regular exercise, not smoking, stress management, a balanced diet, limited alcohol, good sleep, social connections, and avoiding opioid addiction can significantly promote longevity by reducing chronic disease risk.
