02/12/2026
The Best Foods for Healthy Longevity, According to Harvard
Edited for length [Comments]
Read the entire article here: The Best Foods for Healthy Longevity, According to Harvard -
https://superage.com/the-best-foods-for-healthy-longevity-according-to-harvard-2/
"Backed by a 30-year study of 100,000 people, here's the no-fluff food plan that helps you stay sharp, strong, and thriving."
[If you've eaten with me at The Wise Woman Center, you've eaten this way.]
"We know you've heard it before: Eat more plants. Cut the processed stuff. Hydrate [but not with water], sleep, repeat. It's the wellness advice equivalent of backing up your files.
"But a new 30-year study just published in Nature Medicine offers one of the clearest, most comprehensive confirmations we've seen that how you eat in your 30s and beyond really does shape how you live (and feel) in your 70s and beyond.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03570-5
"It's not just about avoiding disease. It's about showing up to older age with your strength, clarity, and independence intact. And this study finally gives us numbers.
> What's New in This Study?
"Researchers tracked over 100,000 people for three decades, evaluating how closely they followed eight different dietary patterns and how that shaped their long-term health.
"Their definition of healthy aging was no joke:
< No major chronic disease
< Sharp cognitive and physical function
< Stable mental health
All by age 70 and beyond.
"Only 9.3% of people met that bar. But the ones who did had one key thing in common: a consistent, long-term commitment to eating well, especially in midlife.
"One diet stood out from the rest: the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). It's not trendy, restrictive, or extreme. There's room for fish, dairy, and healthy fats."
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/scoring-highly-on-alternative-healthy-eating-index-lowers-risk-for-many-illnesses-202202082681
< "People who followed the AHEI closely were 86% more likely to reach age 70 in good health, and more than twice as likely to still be thriving at 75." >
"It's not only about living longer, but being able to live longer with better health," said author Dr Marta Guasch-Ferré, of the University of Copenhagen. "We are focusing not only on lifespan, but health span. Everyone wants to live longer, but also stay independent in physical function, cognition, and emotional and mental state. That's why this research is important."
< "It's not only about living longer, but being able to live longer with better health." >
> What's Old News (But Still Matters)
"Let's be honest, most of this won't surprise you. But what does feel new is the scale and specificity of the data. This is real-life, long-haul evidence.
< Ultra-processed foods? Still the enemy.
< Sugar-sweetened beverages? Don't do it. [Drink nourishing herbal infusions]
< Fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, legumes? Always in.
< Red meat and sodium bombs? Keep it minimal.
"And maybe most refreshing of all: this diet isn't about perfection. It's about patterns over time. Which means your habits matter more than your cheat meals."
> The Six Everyday Foods That Hold The Keys to Longevity
"Here's a no-fluff breakdown of what actually makes a difference.
< 5 Daily Servings of Green Leafy Vegetables
< 4 Daily Servings of Whole Fruit [Not juice]
< 5 to 6 Daily Servings of Whole Grains
< 1 Daily Serving of Nuts, Legumes, and Plant-Based Proteins
< Safe fatty fish
< Healthy fats
< "Five servings: Green leafy vegetables get bonus points for helping reduce the risk of diabetes. We're talking spinach, kale, arugula, Swiss chard, collard greens, bok choy, mustard greens. . . . [Every cup of nourishing herbal infusion counts as a serving of greens.] Rotate these greens [infusions] like your health depends on it. Because it does."
< [And eat more wild greens, in salad and cooked, especially lamb's quarter and amaranth greens, garlic mustard and violet leaves.]
< "Four servings: Fruit is linked to lower rates of heart disease and some cancers. Drinking fruit juice can spike blood sugar in a way that may actually raise your risk of diabetes. Blueberries, strawberries, apples, oranges, cherries, bananas, kiwi, and avocado (yep, those are fruit)."
[Dried, frozen, stewed, baked; not raw.]
[Tomato is a fruit too]
< "Five servings: While grains like oats, quinoa, barley, farro, and brown rice are associated with longevity and lower risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even colorectal cancer. Refined grains? They're linked to higher rates of chronic illness."
[Wild seeds add even more polyphenol, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory vigor.]
< "One serving: Nutrient-dense, blood-sugar-friendly nuts and beans, like lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, edamame, quinoa, h**p seeds, chia seeds, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios is linked to better heart and metabolic health."
[Red clover is a member of the bean family and confers some of these benefits.] [Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are my favorites; roasted and salted.]
< "Safe, fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, and mackerel bring omega-3s to the table, which can help lower your risk of heart disease and may play a role in diabetes prevention, too."
[Eat SMASH. SMASH = salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring.]
[I eat at least four servings of fish a week.]
< Healthy fats: The unsaturated fats found in olive and avocado oils support heart and metabolic health, especially when you use them in place of saturated fats. Use olive oil raw, and avocado oil for cooking because it has a higher smoke point. Delicious and strategic."
[Actually, olive oil is fine for all cooking except deep frying, and you don't want to eat deep-fried food anyway.]
[Please buy organic olive oil and butter.]
"Let consistency do the heavy lifting.
'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,' as Michael Pollan says.
Skip the processed stuff, and make it a habit."
Don't change your diet.
Let your diet change you.
In beauty.
As a giveaway.
Breathing with the plants.
Heart beating as one with the earth's heartbeat.
Surrounded by green blessings.
Gratitude
Joy
Most of us know a healthy diet reduces the risk of heart disease but may not know it's possible to choose a combination of foods that help lower risks for many illnesses. An index created by resear...
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