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When eating meat could help you live longer
Longevity is the capacity to live significantly longer than the typical life expectancy. For example, American-born men and women may expect to live to 75 and 81, respectively. Exceeding 85 to 90 is increasingly viewed as achieving longevity, with 100+ being the milestone for centenarians.
How to live that long is a question that often leads to discussions about diet, including whether to eat meat. Decades of research have sought to answer this question, and it’s only succeeded in muddying the waters.
On one hand, people who don’t eat meat (particularly red meat) have fewer risk factors for heart disease, including lower cholesterol, less arterial plaque and a healthier BMI. They may also be less likely to develop cancer and diabetes.
On the other hand, vegetarians and vegans have been found to have a higher risk of stroke, anemia and bone fractures, with the latter two likely due to deficiencies in iron and calcium. Vegetarians may also be deficient in vitamin D, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids — nutrients among those tied to slower aging and longer lives.
When weighing the two sides, it may seem that not eating meat has more positives than negatives. However, everything we thought we knew about the risks of eating meat may have just been upended, with a few caveats…
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Older adults who ate meat lived longer
A team of China-based researchers tracked over 5,000 Chinese adults aged 80 and older who participated in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, a nationally representative study that began in 1998.
What they discovered 20 years later was shocking, given what we know about the risks of eating meat. By 2018, those following diets that didn’t contain meat were less likely to reach the age of 100 than those who were meat eaters.
So, what gives? Why were the carnivores more likely to live longer than those who didn’t eat meat?
Well, for starters, the study focused on adults aged 80 and older, whose nutritional needs differ greatly from those of younger people. As we age, our bodies change, altering how much we eat and what nutrients we need. We don’t expend as much energy, and our muscle mass, bone density and appetite often decline.
Because of these shifts, the risks for malnutrition and frailty increase. As a result, our nutritional priorities shift from preventing long-term diseases to maintaining muscle mass, preventing weight loss and ensuring we’re getting enough nutrients in our meals.
Most of the evidence supporting the health benefits of meat-free diets comes from studies of younger adults rather than frail older adults. In fact, some research suggests older folks who don’t eat meat face a higher risk of fractures due to lower calcium and protein intake.
Given all this, the Chinese study’s findings may reflect the nutritional challenges of advanced age rather than any problems with plant-based diets. It’s important to note this study doesn’t cancel out the well-established health benefits of these diets for younger, healthier adults.
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Body weight: a key factor in longevity
Another crucial detail of the study to consider is weight. The lower likelihood of reaching 100 among non-meat eaters was observed only among underweight participants. No such link was found among healthy-weight older adults.
That’s not terribly surprising: being underweight in older age is a major risk factor — and consequence — of frailty. The results also align with findings that a slightly higher body weight is often linked with better survival later in life.
Another point to note: the reduced likelihood of reaching 100 observed in non-meat eaters wasn’t evident in those who included fish, dairy or eggs in their diets. These foods provide nutrients essential for maintaining bone and muscle health, including high-quality protein, calcium, and vitamins B12 and D. This could be why older adults following these diets were just as likely as meat eaters to live to 100.
This finding suggests that including modest amounts of animal-sourced foods could help prevent undernutrition and loss of lean muscle mass in very old age, compared with strictly plant-based diets.
One last caveat: the study was observational, meaning it only shows associations rather than cause and effect.
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Holding onto health in old age
The bottom line: rather than focusing on whether it’s better to eat or not eat meat, it’s better to tailor your nutrition to your stage of life. As your nutrient requirements increase with age, you should adapt your diet accordingly.
Since older adults require adequate protein, calcium and vitamins B12 and D to preserve muscle mass and stave off frailty, it may be a good idea to consider including some animal-based products in your diet once you hit your elder years. If the study cited above is anything to go by, adding fish, dairy and eggs could be the way to go.
This isn’t to say that a plant-based diet can’t be a healthy choice for older adults. But it may require more careful planning and some supplementation to make sure you’re getting the right nutrients to support you as you age.
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Sources:
Study Finds Meat Eaters Are More Likely to Live to 100, But There’s a Catch — Science Alert
Vegetarian diet and likelihood of becoming centenarians in Chinese adults aged 80 y or older: a nested case-control study — The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
By Carolyn Gretton
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