Can A Plant Based Diet Increase Your Life Expectancy?

Eating more plants and plant-based proteins can add years to your life.


When it comes to overall health, your diet is one of the most important factors in how healthy you are, and how long you live. Just like a car, if you put gas into it regularly, maintain oil changes, and don’t put sugar into it, your body will last a lot longer.


According to a new study from Norway, if you switch to a plant-based diet, you can add up to a decade to your life expectancy, regardless of when you make the change.


The best way to tell if you need to consider a plant-based diet is by paying attention to your mental state. If you experience brain fog regularly, or need caffeine or sugary drinks to keep your energy up throughout the day, your diet may be the culprit. The best time to make this change is in your twenties, but people in their sixties can add up to 8 years to their life by making the switch.

READ MORE: Five Plant-Based Proteins to Stock Up On


The best way to do this is to swap out processed and red meat for plant-based proteins, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. Colorful foods, and foods that decompose are two indicators that you are on the right path. You should also pay attention to what kind of oils you ingest, and stick with unsaturated oils like virgin olive oil, over unhealthier choices like canola.


The best way to ease into this is to start choosing vegetable or tofu options over red meat. These days the meat substitutes are almost as good as the originals, and even fast food chains like KFC have jumped on the health bandwagon. Making small substitutes to your diet will help reshape your overall health and energy levels.

Hopefully this will encourage you to include more plant-based options into your diet, and eventually add years to your life.

Published by karenmsutton

HSS Orthopaedic surgeon in sports medicine | Mother of 4 amazing children | Team physician for USA Women's Lacrosse | ACL injury expert

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