Healthy Foods That Don’t Help You Live Longer

While no one can control how long they’ll live completely, what you eat plays a pretty significant role. According to a 2023 study published in Nature, following a healthy diet can add a full decade to your life.

“Diet is one of the biggest contributors to your longevity,” Dr. Pooja Gidwani, an internal medicine doctor and longevity expert, told HuffPost. You probably already know the basics when it comes to eating for longevity: eating nutrient-rich whole foods and minimizing processed foods and soda.

But eating for longevity isn’t always so straightforward. The experts we spoke to said that there are some foods and drinks that many people use to make their diet healthier, but the reality is that they actually work against longevity instead of supporting it. Keep reading to find out what the sneakiest longevity sabotagers are.

You’ve likely heard that eating a primarily plant-based diet can add years to your life. It’s true. Scientific research shows that eating a plant-based diet consisting largely of fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and just a small amount of meat is associated with better health and lower mortality. But Maria Kupreeva, a registered dietitian with integrative health clinic The Longevity Lab, shared that relying too heavily on overly processed meat alternatives can backfire.

“Meat alternative products can be helpful for people who want to avoid meat for ethical or other reasons. They still provide protein and some other nutrients. But a lot of highly processed alternative meat products are high in sodium and have a lot of filler ingredients,” Kupreeva shared. High-sodium foods increase the risk for cardiovascular disease and other life-threatening conditions.

When possible, Kupreeva recommends going for plant-based foods like beans, lentils, chickpeas and tofu over ultra-processed meat alternatives. When you do buy them, her advice is to check out the ingredients list (shorter with whole food plant sources is best) and nutritional panel, making sure the sodium isn’t too high. (The American Heart Association recommends capping sodium intake at 2,300 milligrams a day.)

It’s hard to think of a breakfast that sounds healthier than oatmeal.

“Oats are great because they’re high in fiber and have lots of B vitamins,” Kupreeva said. According to a 2022 study published in Nutrients, eating oats regularly helps lower inflammation — definitely a win on the longevity front.

For a lot of people, mornings are chaotic, which leads to relying on instant oatmeal, which can be microwaved in 60 seconds and comes pre-flavored, whether you’re in the mood for banana nut, maple sugar or peaches and cream. Unfortunately, Kupreeva told HuffPost that instant oatmeal is often high in added sugar. And added sugar is a life shortener, not a life lengthener.

There are a few reasons why consuming too much sugar can take years off your life. Gidwani explained that sugary foods (like flavored instant oatmeal) spike blood sugar levels. Scientific studies show that when blood sugar levels are unstable and fluctuate regularly, it decreases lifespan. This is because unstable blood sugars increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease — all of which can shorten lifespan.

To keep your oatmeal as healthy as possible, go for rolled oats and sweeten it with berries, a naturally sweet fruit that has been scientifically shown to support longevity.

It has fruit in the name, so it must be healthy, right? Dr. Darshan Shah, a board-certified surgeon, founder of national longevity clinic Next Health and expert advisor at SuppCo, shared that fruit juice doesn’t deserve its health halo.

“Fruit juice is high in sugar and low in fiber,” he said. Kupreeva said this too, explaining that fruit juices don’t have the fiber and other nutrients whole fruit do.

Instead of drinking fruit juice, Kupreeva recommends eating whole fruit or sipping a smoothie, which still has all of the fiber and nutrients without any of the added sugar fruit juices often have.

Colorful fruit-topped acai bowls sure look healthy, but according to Gidwani, they are often full of added sugar and artificial ingredients. She explained that there’s a major nutritional difference between acai bowls made with berries and honey versus ones that are made with fruit juice which, as previously mentioned, are often high in added sugar.

If you’re buying your acai bowl in the freezer section at the grocery store, Gidwani recommends reading the ingredients list and nutritional panel to check for added sugar. It will contain total sugar because of the fruit, which is fine, but if it’s high in added sugar, she recommends skipping it.

No nutrient gets more attention than protein and while it’s important, most people are getting enough. Not only do you likely not need protein powders and bars, but the experts we talked to said that most of them do nothing in terms of longevity. “Protein powders, while convenient, don’t provide the same benefits as whole-food protein sources,” Shah said.

Gidwani added to this, saying that protein bars can be helpful if you’re on-the-go and don’t have access to whole food ingredients. But she said that many are made with added sugar and other additives that aren’t good for health.

Gidwani pointed out that the benefit of consuming protein-rich foods like eggs, edamame, chickpeas or tofu is that these foods have other nutrients in addition to protein. But all a protein powder is going to bring to the table is that one singular nutrient.

When you’re at brunch and you hear someone order an egg white omelette, it can sound healthier than the scrambled eggs you’re considering. Don’t be fooled: It isn’t.

“Egg whites are overrated. While egg whites do have protein, there are a lot of nutrients in the egg yolk, too,” Gidwani said.

Gidwani explained that this includes choline (which improves brain health), vitamin D (which supports immune and bone health and is not found in many other foods), lutein (supports eye health) and omega-3 fatty acids (which are good for heart and brain health).

The lesson here? Go for the whole egg, unless your doctor has specifically told you to eat egg whites instead.

When it comes to eating for longevity, stick to the basics you already know: eating primarily whole foods and minimizing anything ultra-processed. When in doubt, give the ingredients list and nutritional panel a quick read, especially being mindful of the added sugar and sodium content. After all, the whole reason why it’s there is to help you make the best choice for your health.