We don’t have to wait until we’re over 50 to start adopting habits that can extend our lives, says an expert. There is one essential thing that 20-year-olds can do right now to be more long-lived. And the sooner, the better!
For two decades, Dan Buettner has studied longevity in various places around the world. He is the author of the Blue Zones concept, which designates the places on the planet where people live longer – Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece), and Loma Linda (California), CNBC reports.
Adopting healthy habits, even later in life, can positively impact a person's longevity, says Buettner. This is especially true when it comes to carefully selecting the foods you consume.
"The average 20-year-old woman could live about 10 years longer if she followed a Blue Zone diet," says Buettner, referring to a diet based on unprocessed foods and including as many plant-based products as possible.
Men, he found, could live an additional 13 years if they ate like the residents of the Blue Zones: "Even for a 60-year-old man, six extra years of life expectancy could be taken into account."
The good news is that we don't have to wait until we're over 50 to start seeing results. There is something that 20-year-olds can do right now to increase their longevity, says Buettner.
The best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle over time is to surround yourself with people who share the same way of living.
"Form a group of friends for whom the idea of recreation means something active. Your friends will guide your long-term health behaviors almost more than anything else," explains the specialist.
Dan Buettner frequently exercises with his friends, opting for activities like cycling and pickleball (a racket sport where players hit a plastic ball over a net with paddles). He says the group has helped him develop deeper social connections.
His habits align with those of centenarians like Deborah Szekely, 102 years old, who walks daily with a close friend and encourages people to "find friends who are active."
Having a friend who eats healthy in your social circle can also help you make smarter food choices, Buettner emphasizes: "If all your friends gather around steak or barbecue or Pizza Hut or something like that, that's what you'll eat. The new vegan or vegetarian friend you make will show you how to cook or get good food based on plant ingredients."
When people around you consistently shape your habit of eating unprocessed, plant-based foods, you are more likely to maintain this habit and, consequently, live longer, is the researcher's conclusion.
T.D.