A recent Chinese study has revealed surprising results that challenge the common belief that vegetarian diets are the best for longevity. The study found that including meat in a balanced diet may be linked to higher chances of surviving to 100 years of age.
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The study involved 5,203 Chinese participants, all aged 80 or older at the start of the research. Among them, 1,495 reached the age of 100, while 3,744 passed away before reaching this milestone.
According to The Daily Mail, the results showed that people who avoided meat were 19% less likely to reach 100 compared to meat eaters, while this likelihood dropped to 29% for strict vegetarians.
The study also noted that vegetarians who included eggs and dairy in their diets had a 14% lower chance of reaching 100, and plant-based diets that included fish showed similar reductions in probability.
Lead researcher Dr. Xiang Gao from Fudan University explained that older adults may require essential nutrients found in meat, suggesting that a balanced diet combining plant and animal foods may be the most suitable for supporting longevity, particularly for those with low body weight.
The study also emphasized the importance of vegetables, finding that daily vegetable consumption was associated with an over 84% increase in the likelihood of living to 100 compared to those who did not consume them regularly.
The researchers clarified that the findings do not encourage an exclusively meat-based diet, but rather advocate for a balance between plant and animal foods to support long life, while considering the physical condition of older adults and how it affects their ability to benefit from each type of food.
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