Vegetarian diet may reduce chances of living to 100

A study of 5,203 Chinese adults aged 80 and older found vegetarians were less likely than omnivores to reach 100, with vegans showing the lowest odds and underweight vegetarians particularly less likely to become centenarians.

Researchers analyzed diet patterns and longevity among adults aged 80 and older using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. The study compared people who became centenarians with those who died before 100 to examine associations between diet and reaching age 100. Vegetarians were divided into subgroups including vegans, pesco-vegetarians, and ovo-lacto-vegetarians. The authors highlighted body mass index as an important factor in the observed associations. Key findings: - The study tracked 5,203 adults aged 80+ and identified 1,459 centenarians and 3,744 people who died before age 100. - Overall, participants categorized as vegetarians had a lower likelihood of reaching 100 compared with omnivores in this cohort. - Vegans had the lowest odds of becoming centenarians, with an odds ratio reported at 0.71 relative to omnivores. - Pesco-vegetarians and ovo-lacto-vegetarians did not show statistically significant differences from omnivores in this analysis. - The association between vegetarian diets and lower likelihood of reaching 100 was stronger among underweight participants, and the authors noted potential links to malnutrition and fracture risk reported in other studies. Summary: The report finds an association between dietary pattern and the likelihood of living to 100 in this sample of older Chinese adults, with vegetarians—particularly vegans and underweight vegetarians—showing lower odds than omnivores. The authors emphasize the role of body mass index in the observed relationships. Undetermined at this time.