longevity

234 videos

A six-year study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found three behaviors exerted enormous impact on longevity: not currently smoking, consuming a healthier diet, and moderately exercising at least 21 minutes a day. People with all three behaviors reduced their chances of dying in that time by 82 percent.

A similar study measured how much vitamin C subjects had in their bloodstreams, as vitamin C level was considered a good biomarker of plant food intake (and hence was used as a proxy for a healthy diet). The drop in mortality risk among those with healthier habits was equivalent to being 14 years younger.

The mitochondrial theory of aging suggests that free radical damage to our cells’ power source (mitochondria) leads to a loss of cellular energy and function over time. According to the theory, the resulting cellular damage is what essentially causes aging. Aging and disease have been thought of as the oxidation of the body, but eating antioxidant-rich foods may slow down this oxidant process. On average, plant foods may contain 64 times more antioxidants than animal foods. Including a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices each meal continuously floods our body with antioxidants to help ward off stroke and other age-related diseases, promoting longevity.

Consuming fruits and veggies, and not smoking, has also been associated with longer protective telomeres, the caps on the tips of our chromosomes that keep DNA from unraveling. Each time our cells divide, a bit of that cap is lost. Telomeres can start shortening as soon as we’re born, and when they’re gone, we’re gone. The food we eat may impact how fast we lose our telomeres: Consumption of refined grains, soda, meat, and dairy has been linked to shortened telomeres, while fruit, vegetable, and other antioxidant-rich plant food intake has been associated with longer ones.

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The information on this page has been compiled from Dr. Greger’s research. Sources for each video listed can be found by going to the video’s page and clicking on the Sources Cited tab. References may also be found at the back of his books.

All Videos for Longevity

Dr. Greger and the presentation title on a blue background

How Not To Age – Live Presentation

In this live lecture, Dr. Greger offers a sneak peek into his latest book, How Not to Age.

Senior couple walking on the beach holding hands and barefoot at sunrise

Is It Possible to Reverse Aging and Live Forever?

Some animals, like the immortal jellyfish, can effectively live forever, so why can’t we?

Man touching face while suffering a stroke

Update on Vegetarian Stroke Risk

Those eating more plant-based diets have lower risk of having a stroke, including both bleeding and clotting strokes.

Flat lay composition with fresh wild mushrooms on black table

Dietary Sources of the “Longevity Vitamin” Ergothioneine

It may be even more important to include mushrooms (or tempeh) in our diet as we age.

Photo of Dr. Greger against blue background with words “New Book How Not to Age”

Book Trailer for How Not to Age

Preorder my new book How Not to Age, out this December!

Why Vegans Should Eat More Plant-Based

One cannot assume that simply avoiding animal foods will necessarily produce a healthy diet.

Nuts, berries, grain, vegetables, and fruits spread out

What to Eat to Prevent Telomere Shortening

The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of plant-based diets may explain why they can effectively reverse cellular aging by elongating telomeres.

Person in a white shirt holding their stomach

Fecal Transplants for Aging and Weight Loss

Does poop from centenarians have anti-aging properties?

How Hot Peppers May Extend Your Life

Spice can hack your brain by making foods taste saltier.

Is Spicy Food Good for You?

Those who eat spicy foods regularly tend to live longer, but is it cause-and-effect?

A clipboard, pen, and graphs with stethoscope

The Negative Effects and Benefits of Plant-Based Diets

What are the pros and cons of plant-based eating?

Plant-Based Diet for Treating and Reversing Stage 3 Kidney Disease

I share a touching story of the power of plant-based eating for chronic kidney failure.

English muffin with egg and processed meats

Dietary Guidelines: “Eat as Little Dietary Cholesterol as Possible”

Why do the official federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting the intake of dietary cholesterol (found mostly in eggs) as much as possible?

The Harms Associated with Eating More Southern-Style Food

Diet appears to mediate the majority of the racial health gap.

Diet and Lifestyle for Cancer Prevention and Survival

What kind of diet should cancer patients eat?

The Purported Benefits of Vitamin K2: Should You Take Supplements?

Our body can make vitamin K2 from the K1 in green leafy vegetables.

Woman choosing between salad and hamburger

How to Avoid the Boomerang Effect of Remedy Messaging

How can mandating healthy eating messaging on fast-food ads ironically make things worse?

The Potential Harm in Unnecessary Gluten-Free Diets

How might we prevent the inflammation from gluten-free diets?

Is Allulose a Healthy Sweetener?

Are rare sugars like allulose a healthy alternative for traditional sweeteners?

Assortment of vegetables, dried beans, and berries

The Best Diet for Healthy Aging

Swapping just 1 percent of plant protein in place of animal protein was associated with signiﬁcantly less age-related deﬁcit accumulation.

homemade kimchi in jars in a bright white kitchen

The Role of Kimchi and H. Pylori in Stomach Cancer

What explains the Achilles’ heel in certain Asian diets?

woman buying packaged meat in supermarket

How Much Does Meat Affect Longevity?

If you care about your health so much that it would be unthinkable to light up a cigarette before and after lunch, maybe you should order a bean burrito instead of a meaty one.