What the World’s Healthiest 100 Year Olds Eat, Do, and Avoid
By Jamie Bussin, Featuring Dr. Charles Platkin PhD
Charles Platkin, PhD, JD, MPH, has long been a leading voice in nutrition and public health. As a distinguished lecturer at Hunter College and the founder and director of the Center for Food as Medicine and Longevity, Dr. Platkin is uniquely positioned to share insights on healthspan. On Episode #391 of The Tonic Talk Show/Podcast we discussed the habits and choices that help centenarians, a rare cohort, live longer, healthier lives. This is a digest of that conversation.
At the core of the discussion was research led by nutritional epidemiologist Dr. Zhaoli Dai-Keller, who analyzed data from 34 global studies on older adults. These studies spanned countries including the United States, Japan, Italy, China, and Australia. The goal was to identify the dietary and behavioral patterns common among those who not only live long but maintain independence and quality of life in their later years.
The Centenarian Diet: A Familiar Yet Powerful Formula
When it comes to food, the advice might sound familiar — but that doesn’t make it any less effective. Centenarians tend to follow diets rich in:
- Whole grains like oats and barley
- Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and carrots
- Leafy greens like spinach and kale
- Beans and legumes
- Nuts, particularly almonds and walnuts
- Fruits, especially oranges, apples, and berries
- Fish and lean poultry
What’s notably absent from these diets? Red meat and processed meats such as bacon, sausage, and deli slices. Perhaps even more striking, people who regularly added salt or ate salty foods were found to be 3.6 times more likely to lose basic functional abilities, like dressing or bathing themselves.
Interestingly, even those dedicated to longevity occasionally indulge. It’s not about total deprivation — it’s about balance. “You don’t have to sweat it out just because you eat a piece of candy,” he said. “But you do need to make sure that the ‘once in a while’ treats don’t become daily habits,” says Platkin.
Calorie Restriction vs. Quality of Life
While studies have shown that eating significantly fewer calories over a lifetime might add years to life, it begs an important question: what is the quality of those additional years?
Excessive calorie restriction can lead to elevated stress and cortisol levels, which may have harmful health impacts of their own. “We don’t know what makes someone even want to restrict calories that much,” Platkin notes. “There may be underlying psychological or genetic factors at play.”
Fewer Medications, Fewer Problems
Another common trait among centenarians? They take fewer medications — on average, fewer than five. This is about half the number of prescriptions a typical senior in a nursing home might be on.
These individuals weren’t avoiding illness altogether but were delaying diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and memory loss by decades. As a result, their dependence on medications was minimal. That also meant fewer side effects such as dizziness, confusion, and increased risk of falls — some of the leading causes of hospitalization in the elderly.
With more prescriptions comes more risk of drug interactions, and often, doctors aren’t fully aware of all the medications a patient may be taking. Pharmacists frequently flag these issues, underscoring the importance of a more coordinated approach to elderly care.
Movement and Meaning: Lifestyle as Medicine
Longevity isn’t just about what you eat. It’s also about how you live. Platkin emphasizes that centenarians typically do not rely on gym memberships or step trackers. Instead, movement is built into their daily lives — gardening, cooking, cleaning, and walking are all part of their regular routines.
Sleep is another key factor. Most reported seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night. Smoking was rare or had been given up long ago. Alcohol consumption, if it existed at all, was minimal and mostly consisted of the occasional glass of wine.
Social connection plays a critical role too. Whether it’s through family, neighbors, or community involvement, staying engaged with others was a powerful contributor to mental and emotional well-being. “Having a sense of purpose,” Platkin explains, “is vital. Whether that’s caring for grandchildren, volunteering, or simply tending a garden, these activities give structure and joy to daily life.”
A surprising element of centenarian lifestyles is where they live. Despite limited access to hospitals or specialists, many of the world’s longest-living people are in rural areas. It seems counterintuitive, but these environments offer several advantages: cleaner air, less noise and traffic, more access to fresh food, and a slower, more community-oriented way of life.
What Can Governments Do?
What can governments do to support healthier aging — not just lifespan, but healthspan, the period of life spent in good health?
Platkin’s answers are practical and policy-driven:
- Make healthy food the default in settings like prisons, schools, and government offices.
- Subsidize healthier food options, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, making them more accessible and affordable.
- Overhaul hospital meals, incorporating gardens, culinary medicine, and fresh, nutritious options.
- Improve food labeling to better inform consumer choices.
- Expand digital access so that seniors can use technology (like apps) to make healthier purchases and receive guidance.
Healthier populations aren’t just good for individuals — they’re financially essential for governments, especially those funding healthcare systems.
Final Thoughts
Longevity isn’t achieved through one magic bullet, but rather a collection of consistent, sustainable habits. The centenarian lifestyle isn’t about perfection — it’s about balance, community, movement, and mindful choices.
As Platkin so aptly puts it, “You want health by default. Physical activity by default. Food by default. When those things become built into your life, longevity becomes not only possible but probable.”
