Current Events > Study: "Western diet kills. Plant-based diet adds years to your life."

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/08/health/longer-life-diet-wellness/index.html

Changing what you eat could add up to 13 years to your life, according to a newly published study, especially if you start when you are young.

The study created a model of what might happen to a man or woman's longevity if they replaced a "typical Western diet" focused on red meat and processed foods with an "optimized diet" focused on eating less red and processed meat and more fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts.

If a woman began eating optimally at age 20, she could increase her lifespan by just over 10 years, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Medicine. A man eating the healthier diet from age 20 could add 13 years to his life.

Focusing on a healthier diet could also lengthen the lives of older adults, the study said.

By starting at age 60, a woman could still increase her lifespan by eight years. Men starting a healthier diet at age 60 might add nearly nine years to their lives.

A plant-based eating style could even benefit 80-year-olds, the study said: Men and women could gain about 3.5 years of extra life from dietary changes.

"The notion that improving diet quality would reduce the risk of chronic disease and premature death is long established, and it only stands to reason that less chronic disease and premature death means more life expectancy," said Dr. David Katz, a specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine and nutrition, who was not involved in the study.

The largest gains in longevity were found from eating more legumes, which include beans, peas and lentils; whole grains, which are the entire seed of a plant; and nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pecans and pistachios, the study found.

It may sound simple to add more plants and grains to your diet, but statistics show that Americans struggle to do so. A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found few Americans eat close to their daily recommendations of fruits and vegetables.

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80% of cancers can be prevented with diet and lifestyle changes towards plant-based.

It's the only diet that has been clinically shown to reverse atherosclerosis and prostate cancer.

The longest living centenarians are all in blue zones that eat predominantly whole food plant-based.

Plant production uses up much less water, energy, land and time than meat/dairy/egg/fish production and contributes towards reversing climate changes, pollution and other environmental disasters.

More than 95% of folks in the United States don't meet close to half of the RDA for fiber, which is the strongest indicator of decreased rate of obesity and total general mortality of all causes. Fiber is only found in plants.

There's so many statistics, studies, benefits, etc.

I'd rather die sooner while enjoying the food I like

But I like meat in my mouth

Bold of them to assume I want to live 13 additional years.

Correlation, causation, etc...

brotrrwinner posted...

I'd rather die sooner while enjoying the food I like

I still enjoy non-dairy ice cream occassionally, and I'm not taking in extra cholesterol, growth hormones, antibiotics, bovine leukemia virus, puss and other junk that comes with cow's milk ice cream.

Sugar? Fat? The least of my worries. Those macros can be controlled and burned off.

Ivynn posted...

But I like meat in my mouth

You can still eat meat if you want.

Just be sure to include all the other good stuff in your diet too: beans, legumes, veggies, etc.

A fulfilled life with delicious food or a soulless life filled with meals that I eat begrudgingly.

every long term study shows people who eat more whole food plants (have to add that for the hurrr white flour and sugar are plant based crowd) are healthier

eat your fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains fellas

I eat mainly vegetarian already, but I try not to tell myself it's for health reasons.. Mainly because it's such a hard thing to study and really prove. Nutrition science has not really been the best

Aren't these studies usually done with processed red meat?

brotrrwinner posted...

I'd rather die sooner while enjoying the food I like

This

Ivynn posted...

But I like meat in my mouth

And this

Hullabaloo posted...

A fulfilled life with delicious food or a soulless life filled with meals that I eat begrudgingly.

Thats how I feel I could add years. But Id be adding years to a miserable life

are there adults who seriously don't like how fruits and vegetables taste? seems strange to me. I thought most people liked them, but just don't have them often because of inconvenience

I could stand to eat less meat, I'm sure. I can probably do it for breakfast and lunch, but it is hard to find an appetizing dinner that doesn't include some meat.

Hullabaloo posted...

A fulfilled life with delicious food or a soulless life filled with meals that I eat begrudgingly.

I honestly find that a lot of people who echo stuff like this have never truly tried really good home cooked whole-plant food.

Whenever I encounter people like this, they immediately think salad. Or those plant-based meats (ewww...). As if that's all that plant-based is.

Frequent ejaculation also reduces risk of prostate cancer, so I'll stick to that.

ZannoL posted...

I honestly find that a lot of people who echo stuff like this have never truly tried really good home cooked whole-plant food.

Whenever I encounter people like this, they immediately think salad. Or those plant-based meats (ewww...). As if that's all that plant-based is.

Yeah, the immediate defensive nature people go into when these topics come up is weird. Like, I'm absolutely sure you guys have had many delicious meals that did not include meat.

I'm 39, so like average lifespan is what 75? (in Canada)

So add 13 years to that - 88. But also factor in my grandparents lived to 103, 94, 93 and my grandma is still alive in her 90s.

What I'm getting at here is there isn't going to be a world by then so who fucking cares

but then Id have to live for 13 extra years

Meat is not inherently bad for you. Single crop farming is also terrible for the environment.

ThyCorndog posted...

are there adults who seriously don't like how fruits and vegetables taste? seems strange to me. I thought most people liked them, but just don't have them often because of inconvenience

I like them, but I dont get the daily recommended amount. Nor do I eat them everyday. Partly because of inconvenience. And partly because I like other things more

Esrac posted...

I could stand to eat less meat, I'm sure. I can probably do it for breakfast and lunch, but it is hard to find an appetizing dinner that doesn't include some meat.

Thats true about dinner. That said, my breakfast is very not vegan. When I go to work, my breakfast is 4 scrambled eggs with cheese, 4 sausage links, 4 strips of bacon, 2 hard boiled eggs, and this pepperoni and cheese pack. The last two are usually snacks for later, though At home, it still consist of eggs, bacon, and sausage. But also usually has a scrapple, as well

AngelsNAirwav3s posted...

Single crop farming is also terrible for the environment.

Most of the single crop farms are for feeding livestock

One of the key takeaways here (and vegans often forget this) is that it's not enough to be vegan - you have to be plant based. And comparing junk food to plants is an obvious strawman people shouldn't get upset about.

A lot of vegans have the shittiest diets because they replaced meat for processed vegan junk food. This wasn't an issue back when vegetarianism started becoming more mainstream because there weren't many good veggie options other than fruits and vegetables, but now you have meat-replacement everything.

Anyway, big fan of plant based diets, but in general the issue here is less about meat (for health) and more to do with good whole sources of food. You can have a very healthy diet that includes meat, provided you stick to the fundamentals of whole sources and balanced macros.

I've been incorporating more veggies and fruits because I'm old now. Unless it was out of necessity, I don't think I could ever completely give up meat though.

I also try to eat more meatless meals, but it's like rewriting decades of coding.

ZannoL posted...

I honestly find that a lot of people who echo stuff like this have never truly tried really good home cooked whole-plant food.

Whenever I encounter people like this, they immediately think salad. Or those plant-based meats (ewww...). As if that's all that plant-based is.

I have. But the stuff I like more hush tends to be not plant based

ShadowElite86 posted...

Frequent ejaculation also reduces risk of prostate cancer, so I'll stick to that.

This is my main go to, as well

ThyCorndog posted...

every long term study shows people who eat more whole food plants (have to add that for the hurrr white flour and sugar are plant based crowd) are healthier

People who eat a wider variety of foods and more whole food plants tend to be higher SES.

brotrrwinner posted...

I'd rather die sooner while enjoying the food I like

This. I don't want to be an old decrepit man for longer than I have to be anyway.

LinkPizza posted...

Thats true about dinner

Is really isn't. Other night, my wife and I cooked cheese and spinach raviolis. Made this great sun dried tomato and pesto cream sauce to pour over them. Few days prior to that we made Carribean based curry tofu with a side of sauteed cabbage and carrots. Indian and thai foods lean heavily on the vegetarian side. Hell make a big pot of veggie chili/stew or potato soup. There's plenty of fantastic vegetarian meals to cook for dinner if you look past salad(personally I hate salad). We're not even vegetarians. We just don't have meat with every meal.

I don't understand how anyone can call plant-based dishes soul-less. A quick google search yielded these results:

Vegan meatloaf made primarily out of lentils, creamy mashed potatoes made with olive oil instead of milk and butter, steamed peas, and red cabbage.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/6/6/AAaB-xAADAZi.jpg

Yummy noodle bowl with mushrooms, seared bok choi, and seared tofu.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/6/7/AAaB-xAADAZj.jpg

Delicious tacos with lentil filling and creamy avocado sauce.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/6/8/AAaB-xAADAZk.jpg

Some things those dishes all have in common? Super cheap, super filling, and rich in fiber, protein, and antioxidants.

The idea that vegan food is bland and/or expensive needs to die out.

some people are real babies about what they eat

voldothegr8 posted...

I'd rather die sooner while enjoying the food I like

This. I don't want to be an old decrepit man for longer than I have to be anyway.

I agree in principal that you should do the things you enjoy, but there is a limit.

People always say this until they experience the reality of old age. You don't get to just live a dignified life and then keel over from a heart attack at 85. If you make enough bad health choices, you have a serious stroke at 70 and then spend the next 10 years in a care home with no independence.

BlazinBlue88 posted...

Hell make a big pot of veggie chili/stew or potato soup. There's plenty of fantastic vegetarian meals to cook for dinner if you look past salad(personally I hate salad). We're not even vegetarians. We just don't have meat with every meal.

This is me as well. I'm not vegan (I'm a flexitarian).

I started limiting meat when the pandemic took off in order to save money. I was saving so much money and noticed that my health improved. I haven't gone back to eating meat at every meal. I eat meat like maybe once a week now.

COVxy posted...

People who eat a wider variety of foods and more whole food plants tend to be higher SES.

I'm sure that's a part of it. But eating whole food plants is literally protective of your heart and other organs. There are even studies showing that it can clear up arterial plaque without surgery involved

Fiber is extremely protective and may even play an important role for our brain, let alone the rest of our body. And then you have the tons of antioxidants that can only be found in plants

It's just not very surprising to me that eating more plants is better than you than eating less. To pretend otherwise is silly imo

ZannoL posted...

This is me as well. I'm not vegan (I'm a flexitarian).

I started limiting meat when the pandemic took off in order to save money. I was saving so much money and noticed that my health improved. I haven't gone back to eating meat at every meal. I eat meat like maybe once a week now.

My wife was a vegetarian while we were dating. She's also an incredible cook so she'd come over my house on the weekends and cook a ton of vegetarian food. I'd cooked up some grilled chicken on the side to put on my plate. Sometimes I'd just get lazy and not worry about the chicken. Plus I didn't feel like it was really adding a lot to the dish other than the fact that it checked the meat requirement.

BlazinBlue88 posted...

Is really isn't. Other night, my wife and I cooked cheese and spinach raviolis. Made this great sun dried tomato and pesto cream sauce to pour over them. Few days prior to that we made Carribean based curry tofu with a side of sauteed cabbage and carrots. Indian and thai foods lean heavily on the vegetarian side. Hell make a big pot of veggie chili/stew or potato soup. There's plenty of fantastic vegetarian meals to cook for dinner if you look past salad(personally I hate salad).

Maybe I should clarify. but it is hard to find an appetizing dinner to me that doesn't include some meat. For example, for your list, the only thing I would have probably liked is the ravioli. And even then, I usually only liked spinach with salt and vinegar Carrots are normally ok, though I think Indian and Thai foods are normally spicy, which I avoid And I wasnt counting salad as dinner So, for me, its still hard to find an appetizing dinner without meats

ZannoL posted...

~Snip~

For me, the only thing Id probably like up there are the peas. I also like mashed potatoes, but always add butter. And sometimes cheese. I think it just depends on what people like to eat. What hits their tastebuds the right way. I think everybody in both sides could learn that. Just because you think a lot things are tasty doesnt mean people will feel the same way. People just like the taste of certain thing. Like Im not a fan of most plant-based milks. Theyre ok, but I like regular dairy milk better It just comes down to what people like more

Sorry, but diet experts change their minds every few years after they've declared a thing to be the healthiest and best ever! I go by ye olde standby that a balanced diet is key.

This also sounds like typical vegan pushiness, and I wish vegans would quit acting like holier-then-thou, bible thumping preachers. We get it. You're a vegan, accept that not all of us want to be. It's annoying. We humans are omnivores, we have teeth and digestion geared towards both.

ThyCorndog posted...

It's just not very surprising to me that eating more plants is better than you than eating less. To pretend otherwise is silly imo

Sure. But people who eat plant based diets probably on average consume less calories as well.

The point is that these studies are confounded as hell, and the actual benefit provided is probably much more subtle when you take into account all the things that typically go with "eating a plant based diet".

ThyCorndog posted...

are there adults who seriously don't like how fruits and vegetables taste? seems strange to me. I thought most people liked them, but just don't have them often because of inconvenience

I like fruit. I'm very picky about vegetables, a lot of them taste bitter to me.

pinky0926 posted...

I agree in principal that you should do the things you enjoy, but there is a limit.

People always say this until they experience the reality of old age. You don't get to just live a dignified life and then keel over from a heart attack at 85. If you make enough bad health choices, you have a serious stroke at 70 and then spend the next 10 years in a care home with no independence.

That can happen regardless. Getting old sucks and it happens to everyone who doesn't die at a younger age.

The average american wont be able to afford fresh vegetables in 5 years

I think the message is to eat more plants and less meat, but cutting out meat entirely would be bad for you imo. Just keep everything balanced and it typically works out!

hitokoriX posted...

I think the message is to eat more plants and less meat, but cutting out meat entirely would be bad for you imo. Just keep everything balanced and it typically works out!

what if I eat nothing but pasta and childrens breakfast cereal

LinkPizza posted...

Maybe I should clarify. but it is hard to find an appetizing dinner to me that doesn't include some meat.

Ah that's fair. It's definitely one part adjusting your taste pallet to new flavors and one part seasoning properly. Like boiling veggies(like a true Southern person) is fucking nasty.

LinkPizza posted...

For example, for your list, the only thing I would have probably liked is the ravioli. And even then, I usually only liked spinach with salt and vinegar

I mean spinach was in the ravioli but I didn't taste it. Just tasted like a cheese ravioli to me.

LinkPizza posted...

I think Indian and Thai foods are normally spicy, which I avoid

They aren't. Both styles of food are known for their ability to adjust spice levels. If you ever go to a Thai or Indian restaurant, you can tell them no spice or all the spice. The chilies are added in after the food is prepared for 90% of the dishes.

Also your breakfast every day seems massive man. Two scrambled eggs and three strips of bacon is about all I need.

Who wants to live longer eating little to no meat? It's a life not worth living.

Lil_Bit83 posted...

That can happen regardless. Getting old sucks and it happens to everyone who doesn't die at a younger age.

This is also true You could have the perfect diet and it still happens. Then it feels like wasted time

hitokoriX posted...

Just keep everything balanced and it typically works out!

I agree with this

BlazinBlue88 posted...

Ah that's fair. It's definitely one part adjusting your taste pallet to new flavors and one part seasoning properly. Like boiling veggies(like a true Southern person) is fucking nasty.

And personally, I dont mind trying new things. Sometimes I find something that I like. I just know most of the meals I cook usually involve a meat of some kind. And almost all involve cheeses, which is one of my favorite foods

BlazinBlue88 posted...

I mean spinach was in the ravioli but I didn't taste it. Just tasted like a cheese ravioli to me.

Oh. I know that. But thats why I was saying I normally dont like spinach without that. And I wouldnt have vinegar on the ravioli I feel like Id be able to taste the spinach. What would be the point of adding food if you didnt taste it. Like when my brother was putting onions in all the hamburgers (including the ones that werent suppose to have onions). He said I wouldnt taste it, but then why are you adding them if you wont taste them

BlazinBlue88 posted...

They aren't. Both styles of food are known for their ability to adjust spice levels. If you ever go to a Thai or Indian restaurant, you can tell them no spice or all the spice. The chilies are added in after the food is prepared for 90% of the dishes.

It might just be the dishes I normally hear about, then I dont usually have those types of foods

BlazinBlue88 posted...

Also your breakfast every day seems massive man. Two scrambled eggs and three strips of bacon is about all I need.

It seems massive, but its really not much, tbh I use to get two eggs, but they were gone pretty fast. I use to also get the sausage patty. But they are as good at the place I get breakfast from It fits all in those little take out boxes. With plenty of room to spare. I might take a picture tomorrow to show. Its actually pretty small To me, at least

LinkPizza posted...

And personally, I dont mind trying new things. Sometimes I find something that I like. I just know most of the meals I cook usually involve a meat of some kind. And almost all involve cheeses, which is one of my favorite foods

LinkPizza posted...

What would be the point of adding food if you didnt taste it. Like when my brother was putting onions in all the hamburgers (including the ones that werent suppose to have onions). He said I wouldnt taste it, but then why are you adding them if you wont taste them

Well that way you can get nutrients from the veggies without tasting them. For most people that don't enjoy veggies, that would be a win win. Honestly I'm very lucky to have the diet I have now. When my wife first started cooking for me, I hated most veggies other than basic Southern peas, corn, lima beans that you have sitting in a pool of butter and salt. She would mince and cook everything down until there was no crunch to any veggie. Eventually she started cooking them less and mincing them less. She helped condition my pallet which I'm well aware most people don't have that luxury.