If you are under 60 years old and following an American diet rich in meat and dairy, you can reduce the risk of aging-related diseases that cause death by over 10 years by excluding meat and dairy and replacing them with plant-based foods, according to a recent Norwegian study.
The study, conducted at the University of Bergen under the supervision of Professor Lars Vadnes, was based on hundreds of studies about nutrition and risk factors leading to death from aging, compared to global mortality rates.
According to the journal "PLOS Medicine," the study found that the optimal diet for extending lifespan includes avoiding red or processed meats, not drinking sugary beverages, reducing dairy and egg consumption, and eating more legumes, whole grains, and nuts.
Vadnes believes that the way food is processed is important, not just the type. He expects that if a person in their 20s adopts this ideal diet, they would live an average of 13 years longer. Conversely, if a person in their 80s switches to this ideal diet, they would live 3 years longer than their expected lifespan if they continued following a Western diet.
Vadnes emphasizes that his estimates are averages and do not apply to individual cases.
