Throwing out red meat and meat products in favor of more legumes, whole grains and nuts could extend life expectancy by more than a decade, according to the results of a new study.
A team of researchers compared the "typical Western diet" to the "optimal diet" and found that switching to a diet full of legumes, nuts and whole grains could extend the life of women by 10.7 years and men by 13 years, writes the Independent.
The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, looked at adult life expectancy in the United States, and the results showed that healthier changes in diet earlier in life could extend life expectancy.
The "typical Western diet" of the average American contains almost no legumes, too few fruits and vegetables and too many dairy products and sugary drinks.
Researchers from the University of Bergen in Norway found that consuming more legumes led to the longest life expectancy, adding about 2.3 years of life expectancy for men and women together.
Consuming more whole grains led to an additional 2.2 years, while consuming more nuts added just under two additional years.
A woman in her twenties could prolong her life by more than 10 years, while a man in his twenties could prolong his life by 13 years.
A change in diet later in life can still result in significantly longer life expectancy, research has shown, even for people in their eighties.
Men and women in their sixties will prolong life by 8.4 years if they replace red meat and meat products with a healthier diet rich in legumes, whole grains and nuts, while eighty-year-olds with healthier habits could prolong life by 3.4 years.
However, the study noted significant individual variations in diet, meaning that the benefits of this diet varied from person to person, depending on their existing diet, age, and lifestyle factors.
"Understanding the relative health potential of different food groups could enable people to be healthier," the study authors wrote.