Is there truly a longevity diet? Certain foods that would help us live longer? The question many healthy seniors struggle with is what should we be eating.

Rob and I are writing our second book on the War on Aging about diet. We’re researching what science has discovered about healthy eating for longevity.

1. We know that some populations in the world have higher numbers of people living over 100 years. Their diets are described in The Blue Zones, in the book by the same name by Dan Buettner. How do centenarians eat?
2. We know that mice and other species on a severe calorie restricted diet live longer and have fewer diseases like heart conditions and cancers. Is there a diet that mimics low calorie restriction?
3. There is a genetic condition called Laron Syndrome in a group of short people living in remote areas of Ecuador. Although their diet and lifestyle choices may be poor, they don’t have incidences of cancer or diabetes. They have a mutation in the growth hormone receptor that protects them from diseases. How can diet affect this hormone in normal people?

Your Cells Are at War

One of the best books I’ve read so far is The Longevity Diet by scientist Valter Longo. He agrees that diet is key to living longer and aging well. Here’s what he says:

You can think of the human body as an army of cells always at war. The enemy includes oxygen and other molecules that damage DNA and cells; bacteria; and viruses, which are constantly trying to defeat the immune system.

Like an army in need of rations, ammunition, and equipment, the body needs proteins, essential fatty acids (omega-3, omega-6), minerals, vitamins, and, yes, sufficient levels of sugar to fight the many battles raging inside and outside cells.

When your intake of certain nutrients becomes too low, the body’s repair, replacement, and defense systems slow down or stop, allowing the damage to accumulate.

The Longevity Diet in a Nutshell

This is the optimal Longevity Diet for minimizing disease and maximizing a healthy lifespan, as proposed by Dr. Longo in the book by the same name.

• Follow a pescetarian diet. Aim for a diet that is close to 100 percent plant- and fish-based, limiting fish consumption to two or three portions a week. Avoid fish high in mercury (tuna, swordfish, mackerel, halibut). Past 65, introduce more fish and protein, especially those commonly consumed by populations known for their longevity, like eggs and certain cheeses (feta, pecorino, yogurt from goat’s milk).
• Consume low but sufficient protein. This is calculated as grams per pound of body weight per day. If you weigh 130 pounds, consume 0.31 to 0.36 grams per pound, which comes to 40-47 grams of protein per day. However, seniors should eat a bit more and if you’re prone to lose weight and muscle, you need to adjust the amount of protein consumption. Try to avoid animal proteins, like red meat, white meat, and cheese. Plant-based proteins include nuts, legumes etc.
• Minimize bad fats and sugars, and maximize good fats and complex carbs. Good fats include unsaturated fats found in olive oil, salmon, almonds, and walnuts. Bad fats include saturated fats, trans fats, and hydrogenated sources. Complex carbs are provided by whole bread, legumes and vegetables. Avoid sugars and limit pasta, rice, bread, fruit and fruit juices.

Eating Guidelines for Longevity

Here are some additional guidelines for senior health.

• As extra insurance, take a multivitamin and mineral pill, plus an omega-3 fish oil soft gel. Longo recommends supplementation only every 2-3 days, however, personally, I take a daily vitamin and 2400 mg omega-3.
• Eat twice a day plus a 100 calorie snack. If your body weight is normal or low, you may want to eat more. Pay attention to how often you eat. Above all, avoid eating every 3-4 hours or 5-6 small meals a day.
• Observe time-restricted eating. Confine all meals to a 11 to 12 hour window. Do not eat anything within 2-3 hours of going to bed.
• Practice periodic prolonged fasting. Dr. Longo suggests two periods of five days a year in which you eat a fasting-mimicking diet (high nourishment, low calorie). Such intermittent fasting is known to refresh autophagy, the body’s repair system, and it may be an effective anti-cancer prevention mechanism.

What is Your Waist Measurement?

Having a waist circumference of more than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women doubles the risk of premature death, compared with having a waist circumference of less than 33 inches in men and 27 inches in women. The longevity diet will allow you to reach and maintain low visceral fat, and a healthy weight and abdominal circumference.

What do you think about this? It’s different from the Atkins (high protein), Mediterranean, Paleo, and Ketogenic diets. It combines evidence taken from The Blue Zones and extreme calorie restriction research. Scientists such as Valter Longo and longevity diet research attempts to find diets that provide the longevity and disease-prevention benefits of fasting and low calorie eating while at the same time avoiding the negative parts. ]

Notably, he’s researching diets that mimic the effects of fasting without the extreme deprivation of calories. Sounds good to me.