Diet and longevity in the oldest-old
A well-rounded diet with all essential components, including sufficient meat, helps increase the chances of living to a hundred in your later years
Follow-up study on people aged 80 and older
Researchers from Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (China), and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that elderly people who consume adequate meat in their diet have a significantly higher chance of living to 100 years old.
The authors analyzed data from over 5,000 individuals aged 80 and older, collected by the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey national program.
These participants were followed for 20 years, during which many passed away within the follow-up period.
The results were published in the scientific journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that people who ate no meat at all were less likely to reach the end of the study—meaning achieving a lifespan of at least 100 years—than those who ate meat.
Why nutritional needs change with age
According to SciTech Daily, this result may seem counterintuitive at first, given some evidence suggesting that a vegetarian or predominantly plant-based diet appears to help curb several age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and dangerous events such as stroke, thanks to its high fiber and low saturated fat content.
However, the Chinese scientists noted that this evidence is mostly based on studying younger individuals or those just entering their senior years, whereas the body's needs change significantly with age.
Among people aged 80 and over, energy expenditure, muscle mass, bone density and appetite all decline markedly, increasing the risk of malnutrition and frailty.
In addition, being underweight in the elderly has been shown to be strongly associated with a higher risk of mortality.
An earlier study also showed that very elderly people who do not eat meat face a higher risk of bone fractures due to lower calcium and protein intake.
Maintain a healthy weight and eat all food groups
Therefore, ensuring adequate nutrition and maintaining weight—typically achieved only through a balanced diet containing all food groups, including meat—becomes a key factor for individuals aged 80 and older to reach the centenarian milestone.
Furthermore, research also shows that if you do not eat meat but still include fish, eggs, and dairy in your diet, the chance of living to be a centenarian is still maintained.