Does Eating Meat Help Older Adults Reach Extreme Ages?

A new analysis suggests that what helps people live to 100 may depend on body weight, not just food choices. In one large Chinese dataset, most people who eventually became centenarians ate meat. The apparent advantage was strongest among those who were underweight. The message isn’t “meat makes you immortal,” but that strict food rules can backfire when nutrition is already fragile. Nutrition needs shift with age Longevity talk often starts with plant-based eating. Meat contains amino acids that influence mTOR, a signaling molecule tied to growth and metabolism and often discussed in aging research. Several studies suggest that cutting back on meat may support longevity and reduce risks like heart disease. But diet is a trade-off, especially in older age, when malnutrition and frailty become real threats. Plant-based diets can be healthy, but they’ve also been linked in some research to higher fracture risk and malnutrition in certain groups. That can be a bigger deal for older people, who tend to have weaker bones and recover poorly after illness or surgery. Kaiyue Wang at Fudan University in Shanghai argues that nutrition needs shift with age, so she and colleagues looked at long-term data on Chinese adults over 65. How the study was conducted The team used a centralized Chinese health database and focused on 5,203 people who were at least 80 years old in 1998 and were free of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer at the start. This isn’t a typical population sample. These are already “survivors,” which makes them useful for studying extreme longevity but also means the results may not apply to younger adults. Within this group, about 80% reported eating meat. The rest reported diets based mostly on vegetables and grains, though they sometimes included non-meat animal products depending on the category (vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan). Balancing diet and body weight Overall, meat eaters were more likely to reach 100 than those who avoided meat. But the effect only became statistically meaningful once the researchers accounted for body weight. That’s crucial because body weight in very old age isn’t the same story as body weight in midlife. Being underweight late in life can signal frailty, low protein intake, low calorie intake, or health decline. In that situation, the immediate risk isn’t always “too many calories,” but not having enough reserves to cope with stress. When the analysis focused on participants who were underweight in 1998 – defined as BMI below 18.5 – the gap became clearer. Among underweight vegetarians, 24% reached 100. Among underweight meat eaters, nearly 30% did. The odds seemed to rise further among those who reported eating meat every day. The same trend wasn’t seen in heavier participants. So this wasn’t a simple “meat beats plants” outcome. It was a specific pattern tied to being underweight. Why some older adults need meat A meat-heavy diet can contribute to obesity in some contexts, but animal protein can also help maintain muscle and bone – exactly what older adults often lose first. If someone is already underweight at 80 or 90, getting enough protein and energy can matter more than avoiding certain foods for theoretical longevity pathways. Wang frames it as a question of adequacy rather than ideology. “Older adults may face distinct nutritional challenges,” she told New Scientist. “Our study suggests that dietary recommendations for the oldest-old should emphasise balance and nutritional adequacy, rather than strict avoidance of animal foods, especially for underweight older adults.” Vegetables still mattered This wasn’t a free pass to skip plants. The researchers also found that longevity tended to be higher among people who reported eating vegetables every day, even in small amounts. That fits with what we know about the benefits of fiber, micronutrients, and overall diet quality. So the “centenarian pattern” here looks less like a meat-only story and more like: avoid malnutrition, get enough protein, and keep vegetables in the mix. Nutrition and aging This kind of study can’t prove cause and effect. People who eat meat may differ in other ways – income, food access, health behaviors, or social support – that could influence survival. Furthermore, diet in China may differ from diet elsewhere in ways that change the result. While the findings may not apply to other regions, Wang argues that the underlying biological mechanisms connected to nutrition and aging are probably universal. The biology may be shared, even if the real-world diets aren’t. The practical takeaway For younger, healthy adults, “more plants, less meat” may still be a reasonable approach for lowering long-term disease risk. But this study highlights a different reality for very old adults – especially those who are underweight. In that context, the bigger danger may be dietary restriction that makes it harder to reach basic protein and calorie needs. The strongest signal here isn’t that meat is magic. It’s that longevity may depend less on perfect rules and more on staying nourished, strong, and resilient. The study is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. —– Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com. —–