# The Longevity Diet

A longevity diet is mostly plants built on whole, minimally processed foods, healthy fats like olive oil and nuts, age-appropriate protein, and very little sugar or ultra-processed food. The best-evidenced patterns (Mediterranean, Blue Zone, MIND, fasting-mimicking) overlap on these basics, and the Mediterranean pattern is tied to roughly 20 to 25% lower mortality, with the PREDIMED trial linking it to about 30% fewer major heart events. Consistency over years matters more than short-term perfection.

What the longest-lived people on earth actually eat, and what holds up under real science

## On this page

- Core Principles
- Which Dietary Patterns Actually Have Evidence Behind Them?
- Foods Linked to a Longer Life
- Which Foods Should You Actually Cut Back On?
- Practical Implementation

## FAQ

- Do I need to go fully vegetarian or vegan for longevity?
- Do I need to eat organic for longevity?
- How important is breakfast for longevity?
- Can diet really reverse aging?

## Sources

- Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J, et al.. (2018). Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet (PREDIMED). New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1800389
- Barnes LL, Dhana K, Liu X, et al.. (2023). Trial of the MIND Diet for Prevention of Cognitive Decline in Older Persons. New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2302368
- Morris MC, Tangney CC, Wang Y, Sacks FM, Bennett DA, Aggarwal NT. (2015). MIND diet associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2014.11.009
- Brandhorst S, Levine ME, Wei M, et al.. (2024). Fasting-mimicking diet causes hepatic and blood markers changes indicating reduced biological age. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45260-9
- Bao Y, Han J, Hu FB, et al.. (2013). Association of nut consumption with total and cause-specific mortality. New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1307352
- Guasch-Ferré M, Li Y, Willett WC, et al.. (2022). Consumption of Olive Oil and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality Among U.S. Adults. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2021.10.041
- Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, Winter N, Mete E, Te Morenga L. (2019). Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9
- Lane MM, Gamage E, Du S, et al.. (2024). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077310
- Cordova R, Viallon V, Fontvieille E, et al.. (2023). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and risk of multimorbidity (EPIC). The Lancet Regional Health - Europe. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100771
- Zhao J, Stockwell T, Naimi T, Churchill S, Clay J, Sherk A. (2023). Association Between Daily Alcohol Intake and Risk of All-Cause Mortality. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6185
- Darmadi-Blackberry I, Wahlqvist ML, Kouris-Blazos A, Steen B, Lukito W, Horie Y, Horie K. (2004). Legumes: the most important dietary predictor of survival in older people of different ethnicities. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Levine ME, Suarez JA, Brandhorst S, et al.. (2014). Low Protein Intake Is Associated with a Major Reduction in IGF-1, Cancer, and Overall Mortality in the 65 and Younger but Not Older Population. Cell Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2014.02.006

_Full guide: https://longevity-china.com/en/guide/longevity-diet_

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_Canonical: https://longevity-china.com/en/guide/longevity-diet · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_