Diet Secrets ofโค theโค world’s Oldest Revealed: Low Salt, Mediterranean Pattern Key to Longevity
BUENOS AIRES – New research โฃanalyzing the lifestyles of thousands of centenarians across Asia, Australia, adn Western Europe points to remarkably consistent dietary habits linked to exceptional longevity. Experts now emphasizeโค that prioritizing food quality over quantity, particularly beginningโฃ in middle age,โค is crucial for both health โขand lifespan.
A recent inquiry led by Zhaoli Dai-Keller of the University of New South Wales (Australia) examined the habits โฃof over 95-year-olds, findingโ theโ majority maintained autonomous living and a โขdiet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, and white meats,โค with only a quarter โconsuming alcohol. A key finding was consistently low salt intake,identified as a criticalโฃ factor for cardiovascular health. “Excess sodium is directly associated with hypertension and heart disease, which remain the leading cause of โdeathโค in the world,” โDai-Keller explained.
Further bolstering these findings, โคa 30-year study following more than 105,000 personas by Anne-Julie Tessier โคand Marta guasch-Ferrรฉ of the Harvard School of Public Health โฃrevealed that only 10% reached age 70โค without serious chronic diseases or cognitive impairment. Nearly all of these individuals adhered to a Mediterraneanโค diet starting โขin middle age.
This dietary pattern is characterized by frequent consumption โคof fruits, vegetables, โlegumes, whole grains, olive oil, and fish, alongsideโ moderation in red meat, salt, and alcohol. “The quality of โfood is more meaningful than the quantity.Eating well from the age of โ40 has direct effects โonโค health and longevity,” the Harvard researchers โฃnoted.
Experts synthesizing these and other studies agree on four fundamental pillars shared by the world’s oldest individuals: a diet abundantโข in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fish; low salt intake; moderation in red meat and alcohol; and a preferenceโข for whole grains and olive โoil.