Tag: Life expectancy

According to a 2022 study published in *PLOS Medicine*, adopting a more plant-based diet with minimal red or processed meat could increase life expectancy by nearly 13 years for men and 11 years for women, depending on the age of dietary change. While red meat can be a source of key nutrients, research increasingly suggests that people who eat less red meat live longer and experience lower rates of chronic diseases.

A 2022 study in *PLOS Medicine* modeled that consistently adopting a healthier, more plant-based diet could add years to life expectancy. This leads many to ask, will a vegan live longer than their omnivorous counterparts?

Research into global 'Blue Zones'—areas with the highest concentration of centenarians—shows that their diets are 95-100% plant-based. This and other evidence raises a crucial question for many: can you live longer on a vegan diet?

Some long-term studies have shown that health-conscious omnivores have a similar life expectancy to health-conscious vegetarians, challenging the notion that avoiding meat is the primary key to a long life. The relationship between diet and longevity is far more complex than a simple vegetarian versus non-vegetarian dichotomy.

Research from the Adventist Health Study-2 showed vegetarian men living over 9 years longer and women over 6 years longer than their meat-eating Californian counterparts. However, the question of whether a vegetarian diet itself is the sole cause of increased longevity is complex and depends heavily on other lifestyle factors.

Research suggests that up to 80% of human longevity is influenced by environmental factors, with diet playing a significant role. For centuries, the question of diet's impact on lifespan has persisted, leading to a modern debate: do vegetarians or carnivores live longer?

According to a University of Michigan study, eating a single hot dog could theoretically deduct 36 minutes from your healthy lifespan, a finding that left many surprised. This metric, while not a literal prediction of death, helps illustrate how much of your life do you lose when you eat a hotdog relative to other food choices.

Despite spending significantly more on healthcare per capita, Americans have a lower average life expectancy than the French. This raises the question: Are people in France healthier than Americans? A look at key indicators suggests so, with lifestyle and systemic factors playing a critical role.

According to a 2020 study published in *JAMA*, celiac disease is associated with a small but statistically significant increased mortality risk compared to the general population. The idea of an “average age of death for celiac disease” is therefore misleading, as the condition itself is not fatal, but its complications—especially when left untreated—can negatively impact lifespan.

According to a 2022 study by researchers at the University of Bergen, shifting to a plant-based diet could increase life expectancy by over a decade, particularly for those who transition early in life. This statistic, however, is a snapshot of complex and often conflicting research on the long-term health outcomes associated with vegetarianism. The exact life expectancy of a vegetarian person is not a fixed number but is influenced by numerous factors beyond just diet, including overall lifestyle, genetics, and the nutritional quality of their vegetarian plan.