Centenarian Study: Meat Helps Underweight Seniors Live Longer

Getting to 100 might not require giving up your favorite foods after all.

Researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai studied over 5,000 Chinese seniors to understand what really helps people reach their centennial birthday. What they found challenges common assumptions about plant-based diets and longevity.

The team tracked participants who were at least 80 years old in 1998, all free from major diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. About 80 percent of them regularly ate meat, while the others followed mostly plant-based diets.

Here's where it gets interesting. Meat eaters were more likely to reach 100, but only when researchers factored in body weight.

For underweight seniors with a body mass index below 18.5, the difference was clear. Nearly 30 percent of underweight meat eaters reached their 100th birthday, compared to just 24 percent of vegetarians in the same weight category. The benefit appeared even stronger for those eating meat daily.

The trend didn't hold up for people at heavier weights. This makes sense because meat provides amino acids that build stronger muscles and bones, something especially valuable for underweight older adults who face higher risks from falls and fractures.

Lead researcher Kaiyue Wang explains that older adults face unique nutritional challenges. Weak bones and poor surgical recovery can derail health quickly, making adequate protein crucial.

But before you ditch the vegetables, hold on. The study also found that eating vegetables daily improved longevity across the board, regardless of weight or meat consumption.

The Bright Side

This research isn't about declaring one diet superior to another. It's about recognizing that nutrition needs change as we age, and rigid dietary rules might not serve everyone equally.

James Webster at the University of Oxford emphasizes that both vegetarian and meat-based diets can be healthy or unhealthy depending on their nutritional quality. The key is getting enough whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while limiting salt, sugar, and saturated fats.

Wang notes that while the study focused on Chinese seniors, the biological mechanisms connecting nutrition and aging likely work the same way worldwide. The takeaway isn't to abandon plant-based eating but to prioritize nutritional adequacy over strict avoidance.

For underweight older adults struggling to maintain muscle mass and bone density, this research offers permission to stop worrying about dietary dogma and start focusing on balanced nutrition that meets their specific needs.

The path to 100 might look different for everyone, and that's perfectly okay.