Want to live longer? New study says a plant-based diet could extend your life by up to a decade
Shad Clark
Leaving animals off your plate saves their lives—and adds years to yours. This might just sound like good karma. But, there’s science to back it up!
According to a comprehensive new study, adopting a plant-based diet adds years—even more than a decade—to the average person’s life expectancy. The greatest longevity gains are enjoyed by those who make the switch as young adults. But even for older people, the perks of a plant-based diet are significant. Ditching meat alone already adds years to your life, and eating a diet rich in healthful foods like whole grains, beans, and nuts can add even more. The science is clear: the more plant-based your life, the longer your lifespan.
The science behind plant-based eating and life expectancy
In this new study from the University of Borgen, Professor Lars T. Fadnes and his team of researchers used data on premature death from over 7000 doctors and scientists around the globe, compiled in the Global Burden of Disease, to model the effects of diet on life expectancy. What they found was that the optimal diet is one of legumes, whole grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruit. You can model the benefits of a plant-based diet on your own lifespan using the University of Borgen’s Food4HealthyLife calculator.
Fadnes and his associates confirm previous findings from Cornell and Northwestern Universities, the American Heart Association, the American Osteopathic Association, and the British Medical Journal, all of which show that plant-based diets fuel longer lives.
In addition, recent research from Harvard and Tehran Universities, as well as the American Medical Association, found that the risks of premature death are reduced simply by replacing animal products with plant-based alternatives. All of these studies confirm what doctors have been saying for decades: meat wreaks havoc on our health.
Plant-based diets reduce risk of heart disease
Researchers at the University of Oxford found that consuming roughly one-tenth of a pound of meat a day increases the risk of heart disease by a staggering 18%. To put that in perspective, consider that the average American consumes three-quarters of a pound of meat each day—the highest per capita consumption rate of any country in the world—and heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
In study after study after study, researchers have found that one of the leading causes of heart disease is a meat-heavy diet. This is because animal products contain high amounts of cholesterol, which builds up in the bloodstream and increases risk of heart attack and stroke.
Meanwhile, in addition to lowering cholesterol and preventing clogged arteries, a plant-based diet has been shown to reverse heart disease. In fact, the link between better heart health and plant-based nutrition is so strong that some doctors recommend updating United States nutrition guidelines to support a plant-based lifestyle.
Plant-based diets support brain health
Sadly, strokes cause one in six deaths from heart disease, and 87% of strokes are caused by fatty deposits in the blood. After analyzing twenty-seven years of data, the American Heart Association warned that people who eat meat-heavy diets are 16% more likely to suffer a stroke than those who do not. In the same study, researchers found that people whose fat intake favors plant-based (polyunsaturated) fats, such as olive oil and peanut butter, were 12% less likely to have a stroke.
Plus, plant-based eating doesn’t only lower your risk of suffering from disease and stroke—it also has added benefits for healthy brain function. Other studies show that, since our brains are fueled by carbohydrates, a plant-based diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Plant-based diets lower cancer risk
After heart disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US. While not all cancers are related to diet, numerous studies have linked meat consumption to stomach, bowel, and kidney cancers. Though you won’t find any warning labels on meat products (yet), risks of cancer from meat consumption are so significant that the World Health Organization has even classified red and processed meats as carcinogenic, alongside tobacco and asbestos.
While eating meat increases cancer risks, studies also show that a plant-based diet reduces risk of all cancers, including breast and prostate cancers. And, according to experts at the Mayo Clinic, a plant-rich diet could help prevent a third of all cancer cases.
Eat plant-based to live
Perhaps it’s not surprising that a plant-based diet adds years to your life when you consider that plant-based foods are better for your heart, your brain, and your overall health.
It’s no coincidence that the most nutritionally-dense "superfoods"—blueberries, kale, sweet potatoes, nuts, beans, lentils—are all natural, plant-based, and delicious. With the exception of B12, which is readily available in fortified oat and almond milks, natural plant-based foods contain all the vitamins and minerals our bodies need, along with health boosters like cancer-fighting phytochemicals.
Wehther you listen to the scientists, or you listen to your gut, the answer is clear: eating more plants is the key to a long, healthy life. Why not start your plant-based journey today?
