Tokyo Wire
P rofessor Valter Longo is a leading figure in longevity research. His work inspired Dr Michael Mosley ’s 5:2 diet, his name sits atop many noteworthy academic papers, and he heads up the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California . He is an expert on the behaviours that help people enjoy more healthy years on this planet.
So, in our recent interview, I asked him which low-cost actions offer the greatest bang for their buck on this front. Professor Longo’s response: following his longevity diet , eating within 12-hour daily windows, improving your sleep and exercising regularly . Below, he explains why these interventions are effective.
Professor Longo’s longevity diet comprises mostly plant-based foods, with some fish and little meat. Protein intake is relatively low by modern standards – 0.37 grams per pound of body weight per day, slightly higher if you are over 65 – with most of this coming from legumes, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Saturated fats are limited, while whole foods or “ingredients that your ancestors would have eaten” are prioritised.
“An ideal meal would be to have 250g of vegetables, 250g of legumes, then maybe some starches – 70g of rice or pasta,” Professor Longo says. “That’s half a kilogramme of food. That’s a big meal.” He also recommends allocating a 12-hour eating window each day.
This limits excessive eating, while also avoiding the increased heart disease risk some research associates with fasting periods of 16 hours or more. “It’s not very hard – 8am to 8pm, eat all of your meals within those hours,” Professor Longo says. “Then, of course, there’s 150 minutes of exercise per week,” he continues.
“It’s great if you can do 300 minutes, but most people cannot do it. “If you can do 150 minutes, and maybe 15 minutes per week of more strenuous exercise , it will benefit you.” Read more: How to start strength training and see results at any age, according to a top muscle growth expert Adapting your diet is one of the best things you can do to improve health and longevity, Professor Valter Longo says (Getty/iStock) Professor Longo’s final prescription is improving the quality and quantity of your sleep. “Sleep for eight hours per night,” he advises.
“Find and set up conditions in your bedroom that allow this. The temperature should be about 19- or 20-degrees, and you should stay away from the computer or certain lights before bed.” These behaviours, Professor Longo says, could result in as much as “15-20 years of life expectancy difference between the group that doesn't do any of these – which is a lot of people – and the group that does all of them”. “But it will make more of a difference to their healthspan [the number of years someone lives in good health],” he adds.
“We’re living longer and sicker lives right now. Harvard published a study last year showing this.” The study followed 9,771 people for 30 years and found that just 9.3 per cent of them “aged healthfully”: defined as reaching 70 without major chronic diseases while maintaining physical, mental and cognitive health. “Maintaining a healthy diet rich in plant-based foods, with low to moderate intake of healthy animal-based foods, and lower intake of ultra-processed foods, was linked to a higher likelihood of healthy aging,” a resulting article on the paper states.
Some people may be surprised by the simplicity of these prescriptions: eat well, move more, sleep deeply. But it is these basic interventions that deliver the bulk of health benefits. If you can find a way to weave them into your regular routine, you will reap the rewards.
Read more: T he enjoyable exercise better than walking for lifelong fitness
Source: The Independent
