A growing body of research suggests that adopting a predominantly plant-based diet may hold a key to longevity.
Plants are full of life-giving energy that revitalizes the body, mind, and soul. While not all of my clients are fully plant-based, I enthusiastically promote the benefits of this diet due to the incredible healing powers of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains.
Research has provided substantial evidence that eating more plants while limiting meat, refined grains, added sugars, and highly processed foods is linked to a reduced risk of many diseases, overall better health, and decreased mortality rates.
Plant foods contain vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, antioxidants, and fiber that all play a role in helping people optimize their health. I recommend that people “eat the rainbow” – the more variety in the colors of your plant food, the better, as different colored produce supports the body in different ways!
When my clients begin to eat more plant foods, they report feeling more energized and self-confident, experiencing clearer skin, and sleeping better. While many of these feelings are challenging to quantify, the research demonstrates that a plant-based diet helps people live longer and stay measurably healthier as they age.
Compelling Research on Plant-based Diets & Longevity
The research supporting the benefits of plant-based diets (PBDs) for longevity continues to expand—here is what the current scientific literature says about PBDs and aging.
A 2022 research study looked at how PBDs impact health and longevity. The authors explained that Western-style diets, heavy in processed foods, saturated fats, and refined carbs can increase obesity, inflammation, and the risk of heart disease and diabetes. PBDs, on the other hand, are tied to better metabolic and cardiovascular health, resulting in lower mortality rates. The researchers in this study define a healthy PBD to include foods such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit and have a lower intake of salt, saturated fats, and added sugars.
A 2024 study further narrowed the definition of a plant-based diet, specifying that a healthy plant-based diet that limits refined grains, fries and chips, fruit juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, and desserts decreases overall mortality in older populations.
Another study published in 2020 study found that plant-based diets are associated with better health, citing gut health and lower risk for diseases such as cancer, and cardiovascular issues as reasons. This study did not find that veganism lowered mortality rates, but it noted that the quality of the diet is an important factor that at the time had not been studied.
Plant-based diets are also often rich in fiber! Studies have shown that fiber alone is a key to lower all-cause mortality rates.
Long-term Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet (PBD)
In addition to lower mortality rates, PBDs are known for the following benefits that support a long and healthy life.
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
- Improved metabolic health
- Lower inflammation
- Healthier gut microbiome
- Potential lifespan extension mechanisms (protein/amino acid restriction)
- Disease prevention (cancers, diabetes, etc.)
- Weight loss and reduced obesity
- Environmentally sustainable
- Slower cellular aging
Longevity-boosting Foods to Incorporate into Your Diet
Eating the rainbow is one of the best habits for enhancing overall health and longevity. While most vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole foods support overall health as people age, there are certain foods known for their wonderful longevity-boosting properties!
Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and kale, contain cancer-fighting compounds and are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. These cruciferous vegetables support healthy aging and detoxification and may prevent certain cancers.
Legumes, including beans and lentils, are packed with fiber, protein, and folate. They have been shown to reduce heart disease risk.
Nuts provide healthy fats, protein, and other nutrients. The unsaturated fats may lower cholesterol and protect the heart. They make a great snack or salad topping.
Leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard provide vitamins A and C, and calcium. They also contain antioxidants and fiber for health and longevity.
Whole grains supply lots of fiber, B vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial plant compounds. Whole grains like brown rice, oats, buckwheat, farro, and quinoa, can also lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Olive oil delivers heart-healthy fats as well as vitamin E and polyphenols to reduce heart disease risk. It can be used as a healthy cooking oil or dressing.
Tomatoes are high in lycopene, an antioxidant that may prevent prostate cancer. As a bonus, they are great for your skin!
Berries are packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, and polyphenols. They may help protect the brain and heart.
Avocados are a great source of healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins E and K, and potassium. These components contribute to lower cholesterol.
Sweet potatoes provide excellent antioxidant support, as they are rich in vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, vitamin C, manganese, and fiber.
Seeds, such as chia and hemp seeds, are nutrient-dense with plentiful protein, fiber, omega-3s, calcium, iron, and zinc. You can add them to all kinds of recipes!
Supplements can also support enhanced longevity. For example, NAC helps the body create glutathione, a powerful antioxidant; B12 is an important addition to a plant-based diet; supplements that support gut health help maintain overall health in the body and mind; and spermidines support cellular health and restoration.
Antioxidants & Longevity
The popular belief is that foods rich in antioxidants help prevent aging by protecting the body from the damaging effects of free radicals.
However, a study published in PLOS explains how free radicals may extend lifespan by signaling that your body needs repair, allowing your cells to become stronger. Stronger cells can contribute to reducing the signs of aging and protecting against diseases.
These new findings don’t mean we should eschew antioxidant-rich foods. Antioxidants still support longevity through their anti-inflammatory properties and mitochondrial activity, as well as their ability to improve epigenetic cues.
Here are where you can find antioxidants in a plant-based diet:
Vitamin C: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, cauliflower, grapefruit, leafy greens (turnip, mustard, beet, collards), acerola cherry, honeydew, kale, kiwi, lemon, orange, papaya, snow peas, strawberries, sweet potato, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
Vitamin E: Almonds, avocado, Swiss chard, leafy greens (beet, mustard, turnip), peanuts, red peppers, spinach (boiled), and sunflower seeds.
Carotenoids, including beta-carotene and lycopene: Apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, bell peppers, kale, mangos, turnip and collard greens, oranges, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin, winter squash, spinach, sweet potato, tangerines, tomatoes, and watermelon.
Selenium: Brazil nuts, barley, and brown rice
Zinc: Sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, lentils, cashews, and fortified cereals
Phenolic compounds:
- Quercetin: (apples, red wine, onions)
- Catechins: (tea, cocoa, berries)
- Resveratrol: (red and white wine, grapes, peanuts, berries)
- Coumaric acid: (spices, berries)
- Anthocyanins: (blueberries, strawberries)
Read more about how antioxidants impact longevity
Plant-based Diets & Healing Energy
Just like everything else in the universe, foods are vibrations of energy. When you eat plant foods, you can nourish your body, not only through vitamins and minerals but also through invigorating energetic vibrations. What you eat can also heal your spiritual body; plant-based foods can help shift vibrations in your body to find balance and spiritual wellness. Certain foods support balance in each of the seven chakras.
- Plant Foods to Balance the Root Chakra: Any vegetable grown below the earth, such as carrots, beets, yucca, and yams, will carry a grounding energy, bringing balance to the root chakra. Warming teas, spices, soups, red vegetables, and plant-based fats (i.e., nuts and olive oil) also support this energy center.
- Plant Foods to Balance the Sacral Chakra: Nuts, seeds, healthy oils, fermented foods, and orange-colored foods support balance in the second chakra. Hydrating with water is also essential for balance in this energy center.
- Plant Foods to Balance the Solar Plexus Chakra: Grains and legumes, yellow-colored foods, dietary carbohydrates, and soluble fibers promote balance in this chakra.
- Plant Foods to Balance the Heart Chakra: Leafy greens and other green vegetables can help balance the fourth chakra. Bitter foods full of tannins, such as coffee, pomegranate seeds, green tea, and dark chocolate, consumed in moderation, are heart-opening foods.
- Plant Foods to Balance the Throat Chakra: Fruits, juices, sauces, sea plants, soups, and teas support balance in the fifth chakra.
- Plant Foods to Balance the Third-Eye Chakra: Blue-purple-colored foods such as plums and blueberries can bring balance to this chakra, as can caffeine, chocolate, or cocoa, consumed in moderation, and mood-modulating spices.
- Plant Foods to Balance the Crown Chakra: Cleansing and fasting enlighten the crown chakra. Biophotonic-type foods (like raw foods), which contain light energy, also help support the seventh chakra.
Learn more about how plant-based foods nourish the soul.
Longevity—More Than Just a Diet
Living a long, fulfilling life isn’t just about what you eat. My Culinary Alchemy® method explores health and longevity from a holistic perspective that combines integrative and functional nutrition, mindfulness, and energy work to find optimal health in the mind, body, and soul.
Activities such as mindfulness, physical exercise, sleep, stress management, time-restricted eating, and other lifestyle practices also support longevity.
In my many years of plant-based eating and supporting people in finding optimal health through eating more plant foods, I have been convinced of the life-giving powers of this diet. And the research agrees—plant foods have been shown to stave off disease and signs of aging.
Even if a plant-based diet isn’t for you right now, I encourage you to add more vibrantly colored plants to your plate and begin to notice how you feel.
Visit serenaloves.com for more tips and inspiration for delicious plant-based eating for longevity!
