What's the best diet to live to 100? It's probably not what you think.

 

Have your competent? doctor give you AN EXACT DIET PROTOCOL. You'll want someone to blame if your longevity doesn't occur. I'm not worried about this, I'll get to 100 regardless.

What's the best diet to live to 100? It's probably not what you think.

PEOPLE ARE LIVING longer. In the 1940s, the average lifespan for men was around 54 and now stands on the cusp of 76 years. Still, there's something special about being one of the few centenarians who reach 100. So what's the secret to living to 100?

Nutrition is a big factor, and for decades longevity scientists have been touting the benefits of a plant-based diet. Though more recently, that has come into question with the FDA's push for red meat in the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A new study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition attempts to settle the debate with a somewhat controversial take. So MH asked dietitians to weigh in on their thoughts.

What Diet Is Best for Longevity?

The researchers focused on Chinese older adults—China ranks third in highest centenarian population—who participated in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey in 1998. There were 5,203 adults who were 80 years and older who reported their diet and were then grouped as either omnivores or vegetarians. Based on the type of animals consumed, researchers further classified vegetarians as pesco-vegetarians, ovo-lacto-vegetarians, and vegans. Follow-ups for the longevity survey continued until 2018 where researchers then calculated how many ended up living to 100.

In total, 1,459 people became centenarians. A majority of these super-agers were omnivores. When crunching the numbers, vegetarians and vegans were the least likely to become centenarians. According to the authors, it had to do with the lack of animal-based products. When taking a closer look, pesco-vegetarians (eats fish and seafood) and ovo-lacto-vegetarians (dairy products and eggs) were more likely to reach 100 than vegans.

 You Can't Ignore Body Weight as a Factor

At first glance, the results seem to suggest that you won’t live as long if you eat a vegetarian diet, and also contradicts plenty of research that suggests a plant-based diet is great for your health. However, when you take a closer look, there's an important caveat to consider.

Vegetarians were less likely to hit 100 when they were underweight (below 18.5 kg/m2). The same association wasn’t seen in older adults who were a healthy weight (18.5 – 24.9 kg/m2).

Being underweight as an older adult comes with its own health risks, like a higher rate of frailty, falls, and even dying early. It’s likely that the participants’ body weight played more of a factor than anything in this association—not how much meat they did or didn’t eat. “The take-home message is that it's a good idea not to be malnourished,” says David Cutler, MD, a family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center.

Redefining the Role of Protein in Longevity

The study gave some insight but the question still remains: Can eating animal proteins help you reach your 100th birthday? The study shows it's a complex question that goes beyond yes and no. That being said, dietitians tell MH it’s not a bad idea to mix in some meat in your meals. It's even more important as you age.

Meat-eaters “consume more nutrients like protein, vitamins B6 and B12, zinc, omega-3 fats, and others,” says nutritionist and registered dietitian Sonya Angelone, PhD, RDN. She adds that meat tends to have more calories than plants, which can help older adults maintain weight as they age.

“Digestion and absorption of nutrients decreases as we get older so it becomes especially important to be sure that foods eaten by older adults are nutrient-dense, or that they provide concentrated nutrients for the calories,” says Angelone. Proteins like fish and chicken can deliver on those fronts.

If someone is already in a protein or calorie deficit, further dietary restriction like excluding animal protein from your diet can do more harm than good, says Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. Still, he says there is some merit to plant-based diets and getting more greens in general. It's just a reminder that everyone's bodies and needs are different.

What Experts Recommend Eating for Living Longer

When thinking of a longevity diet, Keatley wants to reframe the narrative. “Diets that support longevity typically include lots of plants, but also allow for nutrient-dense animal foods when needed, especially in older age,” he says.

Your diet, regardless of what you choose, should have a plan to consume sufficient protein, fiber, and healthy fats in every meal. “If you’re underweight or over 70, don’t hesitate to include eggs, fish, dairy, or lean meat for support,” Keatley says. Also try to limit overly ultra-processed foods as much as possible.

Most importantly, Cutler wants people to eat a varied, nutrient-dense diet. “You can be well-nourished eating meat, but you can also be well-nourished without eating meat.”

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Want to live to 100? Start with these 8 foods centenarians eat most often

 

So make sure your competent? doctor gives you EXACT DIET PROTOCOLS ON THIS! You do want to blame your doctor for failure to get to this age, right!

Want to live to 100? Start with these 8 foods centenarians eat most often

Centenarians frequently eat legumes, olive oil, sweet potatoes, and more.

Key Takeaways

• Centenarians favor plant-based eating, including legumes, whole grains, and sweet potatoes, for their long-living benefits.

• Olive oil, nuts, and seeds are essential for heart-healthy fats, vitamins, and reduced inflammation.

• Small quantities of fish, antioxidant-rich tea, and turmeric keep centenarians thriving with optimal brain and immune health.

Living a long, healthy life is a top priority for many Americans. This might be why Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones was an instant success when it premiered on Netflix. This fascination with centenarians, or those who live to 100 years of age or more, has yielded entire research groups dedicated to learning about this demographic. From their research, they’ve teased out lifestyle similarities across these unique individuals, from food choices, social practices, and general attitudes and outlooks on life.

We’ve spoken to a handful of experts on the topic to better understand the common practices of those in this illustrious group—particularly when it comes to what they eat. Read on to discover some of the top diet staples for those who live for a century or more.

Meet Our Expert

• Ben Meyers, the founder of LongeviQuest, a database that certifies and learns about the world’s oldest people
• Bradley J. Willcox MSc, MD, FGSA, FRSM, co-principal investigator (with his brother Craig Willcox PhD, MHSc, FGSA) at the Okinawa Centenarian Study at the Okinawa Research Center for Longevity Science
• Amy Davis, RDN, registered dietitian at Amy Davis Nutrition

Healthy Habits of Centenarians

“Centenarians live all over the world, but some places have better recordkeeping than others – and those places often have more documented centenarians. This is one cause of the ‘Blue Zone' phenomenon,” says Ben Meyers, the founder of LongeviQuest.

Dan Buettner was the founder of the trademarked Blue Zones concept that identifies places where groups of centenarians are concentrated. These areas are found all across the globe, on nearly every continent. 

“However, some more well known Blue Zone locations include rural areas such as Okinawa, Japan, Ikaria, Greece, Sardinia, Italy, and Loma Linda, USA,” says Bradley J. Willcox MSc, MD, FGSA, FRSM.

And when it comes to lifestyle, quite a few commonalities have been discovered amongst those living in these areas. Avoiding stress in everyday life is one philosophy that many centenarians practice. “We’ve found that centenarians focus on their lives and the lives of the people they love, instead of problems beyond their control,” Meyers says. In a similar vein, Blue Zoners tend to find joy in everyday life. “The concept of suffering for 50 weeks to splurge on a two-week vacation would bewilder a centenarian,” Meyers adds.

Maintaining a positive attitude as well as “exercising, having a strong sense of community, and avoiding smoking are other key factors to improving longevity,” says Amy Davis, RDN.

8 Foods Centenarians Eat Often

But what may fascinate people most about these long-lived individuals are the foods they eat and the habits they have around eating. “Some eating patterns seen in centenarians include eating a large breakfast, eating mostly plant-based foods, avoiding weight-loss diets, moderating alcohol, and reserving sweets for celebrations,” says Davis. 

With these practices in mind, here are eight foods researchers have identified as diet staples for centenarians:

Legumes

“One of the top foods amongst centenarians is legumes, which are rich in fiber and provide plant-based protein,” Davis explains. “Fiber-rich foods are thought to help control cholesterol and blood sugar, as well as lower the risk of chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.” Legumes encompass beans, peas, and lentils. So, regardless of whether you typically reach for chickpeas, black beans, red lentils, snap peas, or otherwise, all of them will help promote longevity.

Tip

Incorporate legumes like beans, peas, and lentils into your diet for a boost in fiber and plant-based protein. These foods can help control cholesterol and blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Olive Oil

Another common ingredient found in the kitchens of those living to (or well-past) 100 is olive oil. This culinary staple is high in healthy unsaturated fats that support optimal cholesterol levels. It’s also rich in micronutrients like plant compounds, vitamin E, and vitamin K that serve as antioxidants to lower inflammation throughout the body, further decreasing chronic disease risk.

Nuts and Seeds

“Nuts, which are full of vitamins, minerals, and unsaturated fats, are also staples in centenarians' diets,” says Davis, “Nuts are associated with reduced risk for heart disease and inflammation, likely due to their rich antioxidant content.” Given that seeds have a similar nutritional composition to nuts, they also elicit similar longevity benefits.

Tea

Whether it’s green, black, herbal, caffeinated, or decaf, tea is one of the top beverages among Blue Zoners. This is likely thanks to the multitude of antioxidant-rich plant compounds it contains. In fact, tea consumption has been shown to support immune, heart, gut, brain, and metabolic health.

Seafood

“Researchers have also found that centenarians eat smaller amounts of meat and tend to include more fish and other lean seafood in their diets,” says Davis. This may be due to the fact that many Blue Zones are located near the ocean. However, certain types of seafood (like fatty fish) serve as some of the few naturally concentrated sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are potent anti-inflammatory agents that encourage optimal immune, brain, and heart health.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Whole wheat sourdough bread combines a few common food trends seen across centenarians. “Whole grains are another common denominator of centenarians. They are rich in fiber, minerals, and B vitamins, especially when compared to their white, refined counterparts,” explains Davis, “Eating whole grains is associated with a lower mortality risk from cardiovascular disease and cancer.” 

“Many centenarians are known for their high energy levels. Starchy foods may help centenarians stay active until very late in life,” Meyers adds.Researchers also discovered that many people living to 100 or longer bake their own bread—a lot of times using sourdough starter. This living culture of bacteria sparks fermentation in bread dough, helping to digest some of the gluten it contains and increasing the digestibility of the final product. Sourdough bread also tends to have a lower glycemic index than other loaves, supporting blood sugar management and metabolic health.

Sweet Potatoes

If you watched the Netflix documentary, then you may remember the Japanese purple sweet potatoes that served as a staple food for Okinawan centenarians. And while this specific variety of potato may be tricky to track down in the States, your everyday sweet potato from the grocery store is pretty similar nutritionally. Both types of sweet potato are rich in fiber and micronutrients like potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and plant compounds. These help to improve immune, heart, and metabolic health.

Turmeric

And finally, certain nutrient-dense spices, like turmeric, can also promote longevity. “Turmeric is rich in phytonutrients, such as flavonoids, that may be beneficial to living longer,” says Willcox. The phytonutrients (another name for plant compounds) found in turmeric, like curcumin, work to reduce inflammation throughout the body, supporting overall health as well as targeted areas, like the brain.

Read the original article on Real Simple

Some brains survive Alzheimer’s damage. Scientists think they know how

Will your competent? doctor and hospital get further research going so you can be like Bernadette the nun?

NO? So, willing to DO NOTHING, LIKE USUAL!

 

ASK YOUR COMPETENT? DOCTOR EXACTLY HOW MUCH OF THEIR DOING NOTHING WILL PREVENT DEMENTIA!

Some brains survive Alzheimer’s damage. Scientists think they know how

Scientists may have uncovered a crucial clue to one of the biggest mysteries in Alzheimer’s disease: why some people develop dementia while others do not.

A new study published in Nature Medicine analyzed donated brain tissue from older adults with and without cognitive decline, as well as cognitively healthy centenarians.

Their findings suggest that the way certain immune cells in the brain respond to Alzheimer’s-related damage may play a key role in determining whether the disease progresses to dementia.

Dr. Steve Allder, a consultant neurologist who wasn’t involved in the study, told Newsweek: “This is an encouraging piece of research that adds another important piece to the Alzheimer’s puzzle.”

Brain Immune Cells May Hold the Answer

Alzheimer’s disease is often linked to the buildup of two proteins in the brain: amyloid plaques and tau tangles. But having these changes doesn’t always mean someone will develop memory loss or dementia.

To investigate why some people remain mentally sharp despite Alzheimer’s-related brain changes, researchers from Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, KU Leuven and Muna Therapeutics in Belgium, alongside the UK Dementia Research Institute, studied brain tissue from people with dementia, cognitively healthy older adults and centenarians.

They focused on microglia—the brain’s immune cells—which help protect and monitor the brain. The researchers found that these cells behave differently as Alzheimer’s develops.

They identified what appeared to be different stages of the disease. Early on, microglia switched into an inflammatory state linked to amyloid plaques—abnormal levels of this naturally occurring protein clump together to form plaques that disrupt cell function, according to the National Institute on Aging. Later, some microglia moved into a different immune state that appeared alongside tau buildup and brain cell damage.

The findings suggest this shift may be an important turning point that helps determine whether Alzheimer’s-related changes in the brain eventually lead to dementia.

Allder, who works at Re:Cognition Health, in Birmingham, England, told Newsweek: “For many years, research has concentrated on removing amyloid plaques, but this work suggests that maintaining a healthy immune response within the brain could be just as important.“If we can understand what allows these protective mechanisms to continue working, we may eventually be able to delay or even prevent symptoms, despite the presence of Alzheimer’s pathology.”

Not Everyone Resists Alzheimer’s the Same Way

The researchers also found that people who remained mentally sharp despite having Alzheimer’s pathology did not all follow the same pattern.

Some older adults who had amyloid plaques but no dementia showed the early microglial response but never moved into the later immune state linked to disease progression.

Meanwhile, cognitively healthy centenarians appeared to activate that later immune response, but it was largely not connected to tau buildup.

This suggests that resilience to Alzheimer’s may not simply come from avoiding the disease-related changes in the brain. It may also depend on how the brain responds and adapts to those changes.

“Understanding better how the brain resists the disease will provide new avenues towards therapies to prevent neurodegeneration and dementia,” said study corresponding author Professor Mark Fiers.

The findings could help guide future Alzheimer’s treatments. Rather than focusing only on removing amyloid plaques, scientists may also look at ways to influence microglia and help preserve the immune responses associated with resilience.

“These findings open new opportunities to target microglial states—especially pathways such as TREM2—and extend resilience rather than simply focusing on plaque removal.

“We are excited to continue this journey and understand the causal role of microglial transitions leading to the identification of novel therapeutic approaches to delay or prevent disease progression,” said Niels Plath, chief scientific officer of Muna Therapeutics, in a statement.

Reference

Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie. (2026, July 26). A hidden Alzheimer’s tipping point may decide who gets dementia. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 26, 2026 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/07/260726015257.htm

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and Emma Lee-Sang

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People Who Live to 100 Share These 3 Biological Factors by mindbodygreen

 

My genes are good. Dad died at 91 from Parkinson's dementia, Mom still living alone at home at 97. I carry zero stress right now.

People Who Live to 100 Share These 3 Biological Factors

One Blood Marker Is Tied to Cognition and Mortality in People Who Live Past 100

 Is this one of the common tests post stroke so your doctor can identify the EXACT REHAB PROTOCOLS  to fix this? Oh NO, your competent? doctor has no protocols at all for anything in stroke! S/he prefers guessing on what needs to be done for your recovery! Good luck with that!

One Blood Marker Is Tied to Cognition and Mortality in People Who Live Past 100

Elevated NfL levels tracked with poorer cognitive scores and higher death risk in centenarians

Key Takeaways

• Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a measure of neuronal injury.
• Higher blood NfL levels in centenarians correlated with lower cognitive scores and increased mortality rates.
• NfL may reflect complex systemic interactions that influence mortality, researchers suggested.

Neurofilament light chain (NfL), a measure of neuronal injury, emerged as a key blood-based biomarker associated with both cognitive function and survival in centenarians, a Japanese cohort study showed.

Higher plasma NfL levels correlated with lower cognitive scores on the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) after adjusting for potential confounders (β = -0.92, 95% CI -1.62 to -0.23), reported Yasumichi Arai, MD, PhD, of Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo, and co-authors.

Elevated NfL was also tied to increased mortality (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.17-1.57), the researchers wrote in JAMA Network Open. Meanwhile, a lower level of plasma amyloid-beta 42/40, an Alzheimer's disease biomarker, was linked to worse cognitive scores (β = 0.99, 95% CI 0.46-1.52). However, neither that measure, nor plasma phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau181), had a significant relationship with mortality after adjustment. Unlike amyloid and tau biomarkers, "NfL appeared to be a more generalizable marker of neurodegeneration that reflected the complex interactions between the nervous system and physiological systems such as immunity and vascular function," Arai and colleagues wrote. "These findings suggest that NfL could serve as a valuable biomarker for assessing the health trajectory of extremely old adults and provide critical insights into the mechanisms underlying cognitive aging at the limits of human life," they added. NfL is a structural component of nerve cells; when damaged, it is released in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The biomarker is assessed in a number of disorders, including vascular brain injury, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), traumatic brain injury, and Huntington's disease. Higher blood or CSF levels of NfL are considered markers of neurodegeneration.

The Japanese study results mirror a key finding from earlier research that showed plasma NfL was associated with mortality in the oldest old.

"I'm delighted that our findings from the Danish nonagenarian and centenarian cohorts have now been replicated in a Japanese cohort," noted Mathias Jucker, PhD, of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Tübingen. "This independent validation across distinct populations strongly supports the robustness of the findings," he told MedPage Today.

Other population-based studies have reported that NfL blood levels also may predict mortality in younger cohorts, Jucker added.

"In light of the growing interest in NfL as a biomarker for human neurological health and mortality, we have recently extended our analysis to include animals," he said. "Our findings suggest that NfL may serve as a cross-species blood biomarker for assessing aging interventions and predicting mortality."

Arai and colleagues studied a cohort of 495 Japanese centenarians recruited from 2000 to 2021 with a mean baseline age of 104.1 years; most (80.4%) were women. Participants had baseline cognitive tests and blood sampling, and were followed up to 17 years for mortality.

The MMSE evaluated cognitive function; scores can range from 30, indicating normal cognition, to 0, indicating severe impairment. The researchers assessed dementia severity with the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale, which ranges from 0 for no impairment to 3 for severe dementia.

Overall, 419 participants took the MMSE; the mean score was 13.7. Among 436 participants with a CDR assessment, 83 people had a score of 0; 59 people had a score of 0.5; and 129 people had a score of 1.

The mean NfL level was 114.6 pg/mL, but values ranged widely from 12.5 to 1,239.5 pg/mL. During the follow-up period, 466 participants (95.5%) died.

"While amyloid-beta deposition has long been considered a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, and p-tau181 is a related protein to amyloid-beta, they appear to be less strongly associated with mortality in centenarians compared with neurodegeneration-associated biomarkers such as NfL," Arai and co-authors observed.

"This suggests that nonamyloid-beta pathology or systemic pathology affecting neurodegeneration rather than amyloid-beta pathology itself may play a more significant role in the morbidity and mortality of centenarians, which is compatible with recent findings showing a distinct pattern of cognitive decline in centenarians compared with patients with Alzheimer's disease," the researchers pointed out.

"The role of physical system decline in chronic inflammation, worsening nutritional status, and declining kidney function as reflected in NfL levels underscores the complex systemic interactions that likely influence mortality in this population," they added.

The study had several limitations, Arai and co-authors noted. It did not account for a formal diagnosis of dementia or incorporate imaging measures like cerebrovascular lesions. The cohort was also limited to a Japanese population.

"Replication in other ethnic groups and regions will be essential to evaluate the generalizability of these findings and to examine potential cultural or genetic influences on NfL as a biomarker of aging," the researchers wrote.

Judy George covers neurology and neuroscience news for MedPage Today, writing about brain aging, Alzheimer’s, dementia, MS, rare diseases, epilepsy, autism, headache, stroke, Parkinson’s, ALS, concussion, CTE, sleep, pain, and more. Connect:

Disclosures

This study was supported by a grant from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development; the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Labour for the Scientific Research Project for Longevity; a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; and the Program for Initiative Research Projects from Keio University and the Keio University Global Research Institute.

Arai reported receiving grants from Ezaki Glico, Johnson & Johnson, and Tuning Fork Bio. Co-authors reported relationships with Eisai, Otsuka, Kowa, K Pharma, and SanBio.

Jucker had no conflicts of interest.

Primary Source

JAMA Network Open

Source Reference: Shikimoto R, et al "Biomarkers, cognitive function, and mortality in centenarians" JAMA Netw Open 2026; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.11335.