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The question of how to live a long, healthy life is increasingly at the forefront of medical research. While centuries ago some may have turned to finding mythical immortality-granting items like the Holy Grail, scientists now say that achieving longevity may rely on eating the right foods, adopting healthy habits, and remaining socially active.
Reaching your hundredth birthday means you become a member of a special club of centenarians. While researchers believe the number of centenarians was very low before 1900, today many more people are able to reach this ripe old age.
As of 2021, there were an estimated 573,000 centenarians globally. The United Nations expects that number to jump rapidly, with a reported estimate of 3.7 million by 2050.
What do centenarians do to help them reach triple-digit birthdays what is their secret? Medical News Today spoke with six experts to find out what the secret sauce behind longevity is.
In 2016, National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner and his team published a study on what they found to be the secrets to longevity.
Dubbed the Blue Zones, Buettner identified five specific areas of the world where people consistently live over 100 years of age. These areas are:
These are places where human beings have lived manifestly longest, Buettner explained to Medical News Today. Theyve achieved the health outcomes we want: long lives largely free of chronic disease. Since only 80% of how long we live is dictated by disease, these peoples lifestyles and environments offer us instructions and clues for how we can set up our lives to live longer.
Within these five areas, Buettner discovered there were nine common practices that people followed that might explain their slower aging process. Called the Power 9, they include:
Loneliness, said Buettner, is a top risk factor for a shorter life, so preventing that as much as we can could help add years to our lives:
We know that lonely people are expected to live 8 fewer years than well-connected people and that health behaviors [are] measurably contagious. People in Blue Zones are in socially connected villages with strong social ties, which gives them a longevity edge from the very beginning.
Theres no short-term fix [or] supplement for longevity, he added. Learn plant-based dishes that you like and cook at home. Curate a social circle of three to five healthy friends [who] will care about you on a bad day. Health behaviors are contagious, and friends tend to be long-term adventures.
As diet makes up a few of the Power 9 learned from Blue Zones, Buettner has also launched the Blue Zone Food Guidelines that feature 11 recommendations reflecting how the worlds longest-living people ate for most of their lives.
If you want to know what a centenarian [did to live] to be 100, you have to know what they ate during their whole [life], he said. Working with Harvard for my book The Blue Zones Kitchen, we collected 155 dietary studies done in all Blue Zones over the past 80 years and averaged them.
It was clear that over 90% of their traditional dietary intake came from whole food, plant-based sources [and] was about 65% complex carbs, noted Buettner. The pillars of every longevity diet in the world are whole grains, nuts, greens, and other garden vegetables, tubers, and beans.
Dr. Valter Longo, Edna M. Jones Chair in Gerontology and professor of gerontology and biological sciences at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, developed the Longevity Diet after years of research into aging, nutrition, and disease.
The Longevity Diet, based on [the] five pillars of longevity, entails all of the everyday and periodic dietary habits that are associated with increased longevity and healthspan, he explained to MNT.
The main facets of the Longevity Diet include:
Because diet [is] intended as how and what we eat and not as a method to lose weight, [it] can regulate the genes that regulate the aging process, but also those that regulate the removal of damaged components of cells and the regeneration of parts of various tissues and organs, Dr. Longo added.
Additionally, previous research suggests that the Mediterranean diet can also provide benefits when it comes to longevity.
A review published in January 2020 concluded that the Mediterranean diet helps slow down the progression of aging and the onset of frailty in older age.
And research published in March 2021 says adhering to the Mediterranean diet may add years to a persons life.
According to Monique Richard, a registered dietitian nutritionist, owner of Nutrition-In-Sight in Johnson City, TN, and national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, when it comes to eating for longevity, diets like the Blue Zone Diet, Longevity Diet, and Mediterranean diet stand out because of the lifestyle components they share.
Examples of commonalities observed within these populations include more families and individuals growing and consuming their food [and] eating more whole foods, as in closest to what Mother Nature has made versus derived from a manufacturing plant, industrial farm, or fast food chain, she explained to MNT.
Overall intake and composition of these diets include less highly-processed foods, therefore often automatically decreasing levels of sodium, artificial flavors, colorings, and preservatives, fats or added sugar. Richard noted.
These dietary patterns often include foods lower in saturated fats, cholesterol, and calories, including more foods that are richer in nutrients such as fiber, antioxidants like vitamin C, E, A, [and] B, and higher in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and iodine.
Monique Richard
When looking to make diet changes to increase longevity, Richard said it is not just about extending life, but also about increasing its quality.
She suggested:
The emphasis is not on restriction or negative consequences, but leaning into true quality, consistency, and overall health with a pillar of foundational pure, wholesome factors, Richard said.
Dont forget to slow down with eating, with chewing, with making or creating a meal, with making time to stop and smell the flowers, [and] with making long-lasting meaningful changes, she added.
The power of positive thinking is known to be beneficial to a persons overall mental health. However, previous research shows that a positive attitude may even help a person live longer.
A study published in August 2019 found that being optimistic was associated with a person living 11-15% longer and having a stronger likelihood of living to age 85 or older.
Research published in October 2022 suggested that positive-thinking women in an ethnically diverse United States population lived an average of 4.4 years more than those who did not think positively.
Having a positive, optimistic outlook reduces our risk for developing chronic diseases and gives us a greater chance of living past 85, Dr. Karen D. Sullivan, a board-certified neuropsychologist and owner of I CARE FOR YOUR BRAIN in Pinehurst, NC explained to MNT.
The mechanism behind these benefits is thought to be related to the protection optimism offers against the inflammatory damage of stress. Studies on negative emotions show a weakening effect on the immune system.
Dr. Karen D. Sullivan
Additionally, Dr. Karen Miller, a neuropsychologist, geropsychologist, and senior director of the Brain Wellness and Lifestyle Programs at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, noted that inflammation caused by stress is one of the culprits leading to more rapid aging, more physical difficulties, and more cognitive difficulties.
So when were thinking positive and engaging in positive behaviors, such as [] meditation, yoga, participating in our own personal religious practices, getting out and walking, exercising, [or] enjoying the fresh air, all those things are bringing down our stress and bringing down our level of inflammation, she continued.
If were under a lot of stress were going to have higher inflammation and higher inflammation actually can cause cellular damage to our bodies, particularly our brains, Dr. Miller noted.
In addition to staying positive and participating in activities that help lower stress, remaining socially active and connected to other humans has also been associated with living a long life.
A study published in September 2019 found women who had strong social relationships had a 10% longer life span and 41% better chance of living to age 85.
And research published in May 2023 showed that frequent participation in social activity was significantly associated with prolonged overall survival in older adults.
We are social beings with a social brain we are wired to be part of a group with needs for both contributing value and being valued, Dr. Sullivan explained.
People who identify as lonely have a [] greater risk of dying early than those who feel satisfied with their social life. The chronic stress of loneliness weakens our immune systems, making us more susceptible to infectious diseases and chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Dr. Karen D. Sullivan
When actively socializing, Dr. Miller said, we are engaging in cognitive stimulation that helps keep the brain engaged and healthy.
When we are involved with another person, there is that volley, that give and take, she told MNT. Its like a tennis match the ideas are going back and forth. And that type of cognitive stimulation actually inspires our brains to be more mentally agile, or like what we like to think of in neuropsychology as cognitive flexibility.
Plus, conversing and engaging with others helps you learn more information, think creatively, and stimulate problem-solving skills, resulting in what Dr. Miller referred to as a whole-brain workout.
That type of engagement, that social stimulation, is what I would call natures brain bootcamp, she added. Were literally engaging in bootcamp for our brain where were socializing, which is very different than if I was isolated and I didnt have that opportunity.
While experts agree a healthy diet, limiting stress, thinking positively, and staying socially active can potentially lead to a longer life, there are some other healthy habits that are also important.
For example, smoking can take years off your life. A study published in June 2020 found that not smoking and being socially engaged throughout older age were common in centenarians free from common chronic diseases.
Keeping a healthy weight is also important for longevity. Research published in 2017 concluded that a high body mass index (BMI) was associated with substantially shorter healthy and chronic disease-free life expectancy.
Regular exercise can also help you live longer. A study published in August 2022 found that light or moderate to vigorous physical activity were both associated with a lower risk of mortality in older women, while higher sedentary time increased their mortality risk.
Several studies have shown that physical activity is associated with lower risk of mortality in older adults, Dr. Aladdin Shadyab, associate professor of epidemiology at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego, and senior author of the study told MNT.
We were the first to show that higher levels of physical activity and lower time spent sedentary are associated with reduced risk of mortality, irrespective of having genes that predispose to a long life. These findings overall highlight the importance of maintaining a physically active lifestyle in old age to achieve longevity, said Dr. Shadyab.
I think maintaining a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise is most important, particularly for older adults, he added. Even light activities, such as walking, are important for maintaining a long and healthy life in the aging population.
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Longevity: What lifestyle habits could help you live to 100?
Helen Mongelia's 102 years reflect the mysterious alchemy of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that coalesce to aid longevity. Fresh food, consistent movement, emotional resilience, and a family full of long-living relatives mark the centenarian's colorful life span, which began in 1919 while Woodrow Wilson occupied the White House.
Longevity like Mrs. Mongelia's remains extraordinary, with an estimated one in 6,000 people in the United States reaching 100 nowadays, according to the U.S. Administration on Aging. More than 100,000 were 100 or older in 2019, triple the number in 1980 who'd passed their 100th birthday.
Scientists, including those at Harvard, are eagerly studying people in their 90s and beyond to tease out what contributes to exceptionally long living. People enduring to extreme old age often have lifestyles that fuel vigor and hamper age-related chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. They typically are nonsmokers, are not obese, and cope effectively with stress, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Most are women.
"I didn't expect to live this long, that's for sure," says Mrs. Mongelia, who lived independently until 101 when she also gave up driving and happily holds a mailroom job at her assisted living residence in Connecticut. "But I've tried not to let anything bother me too much. I have two great daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren what else can you ask for? There's my happiness right there."
Mrs. Mongelia never restricted her diet, eating meat but skipping most alcoholic drinks. But her early fare as the middle child of 11 was abundant in fruits and vegetables, many grown in her family's garden in Carbondale, Pa., and canned to enjoy all year long. The large clan also walked "everywhere," trekking miles round-trip to church, school, and the grocery store.
Mrs. Mongelia's healthy habits hit a sweet spot that science increasingly spotlights as optimal for longevity. A new Harvard-led study spanning 11 years and involving 2,400 people (average age 60; 55% women) suggests that a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats may dampen inflammation and prevent age-related frailty, a major predictor of decline affecting between 10% and 15% of older adults.
"Frailty is hard to define, but it's really easy to spot. In general, it's a state of increased vulnerability," says Courtney Millar, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
"It's important to focus on frailty prevention and treatment, because it's associated with so many of the factors that determine someone's longevity," says Millar, a co-author of the study, published online May 12, 2022, by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Another new study suggests that young adults who begin optimizing their diets at age 20 by veering from typical Western fare to more whole grains, legumes, and nuts could increase their life expectancy by more than a decade. Published online Feb. 8, 2022, by PLOS Medicine, the study posited that people who start such dietary shifts even at age 60 can still reap substantial benefits, increasing life expectancy by eight years for women; 80-year-olds could gain another three-plus years.
"I'm certainly a believer that food is medicine," Millar says, "and there's some great evidence that dietary factors can improve longevity."
Mrs. Mongelia's family is peppered with relatives who've had far longer-than-average life spans. Although her coal miner father died of black lung disease at 78, Mrs. Mongelia's mother lived to 93, and many siblings also thrived into their 10th decade. Two brothers still survive.
Research reinforces this link: siblings and children of long-living people are more likely to live beyond peers and remain healthier while doing so, according to the NIH. A study published online May 28, 2022, by The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences suggested that children of those who reach 100 carry a specific "genetic footprint" explaining why they're less frail than peers whose parents were not centenarians.
Might our genes be the linchpin to longevity? "My take is that it's certainly a combination of lifestyle and genetics," Millar says. "Certain dietary factors and even exercise regimens can modify how our genes are expressed and contribute to what's going on in our bodies. It's a really important intersection of our health."
Some scientists use the term "biohacks" to refer to tweaks in daily habits and choices that aim to tamp down inflammation and blunt aging's effects. Many of these tactics aren't new, but Harvard experts say that employing them consistently might contribute to longevity.
Move more. Vigorous movement has repeatedly been linked with lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic health problems.
Review your health history. Talk to your primary care doctor about your health conditions and any new symptoms so you can manage them appropriately.
Try intermittent fasting. Compressing meals into a six- or eight-hour window each day boosts the body's natural process of eliminating damaged cells and proteins, lowering inflammation levels.
Eat a plant-forward diet. Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and fiber from whole grains all help to lower inflammation levels. Beans, chickpeas, and other legumes were hailed as a key dietary predictor of longevity in a study that found a daily dietary increase of just 20 grams (less than an ounce) of legumes lowers our risk of dying in any given year by 8%.
Boost your outlook. List your life goals and imagine a future where they've been reached, or think about three good things that happened to you every day. Write them down.
Despite a hardscrabble path that included dropping out of school after 11th grade to take care of a baby sibling and also working as a button operator in a dress factory where she earned three cents per dozen buttons mounted Mrs. Mongelia maintains an upbeat attitude that matches her hardy body. She relies on a walker and hearing aids, but remains mentally sharp. "Just keep going and going and going, and don't give up," she counsels.
A recent Harvard-led analysis of nearly 160,000 American women linked positive outlook to extended life span. Published online June 8, 2022, by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the study analyzed data and survey responses from women who were 50 to 79 years old when they enrolled in the study in the 1990s. The researchers then tracked participants' survival for up to 26 years. The results suggested that higher levels of optimism correlated with higher odds of living beyond 90.
About a quarter of the relationship between optimism and living longer may reflect health-related factors such as eating healthy foods, controlling weight, exercising, and limiting alcohol, says study co-author Dr. Hayami Koga, a researcher and doctoral candidate in population health sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The findings hint at the value of focusing on positive psychological factors as possible new ways of promoting longevity and healthy aging, Dr. Koga says. "There's some evidence that optimistic people are more likely to have goals and the confidence to reach them," she adds. "I think it drives people to be more confident and take actions that lead to better health."
Photo by Timothy H. Cole
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Aiming for longevity - Harvard Health