Weight and protein, not meat avoidance, influence 100-year odds for those over 80
A Chinese study of more than 5,000 adults aged 80 or older found that non-meat eaters were less likely to reach 100, but this only applied to participants who were underweight. Those who included modest amounts of animal-source foods such as fish, eggs, or dairy had similar odds of becoming centenarians as meat eaters, suggesting that maintaining adequate protein and key nutrients to prevent malnutrition and loss of lean mass is crucial in late life. The study is observational, so it shows associations rather than causation, and it emphasizes that nutrition needs change with age: for the very old, sustaining muscle and preventing frailty may matter more than long-term disease prevention.
