Want to live to 100? Skip these foods in your 30s and enjoy them later. Longevity doctor shares surprising diet secret

Economic Times

13-06-2025

iStock Longevity expert Dr. Joseph Antoun advises shifting to a plant-based diet between ages 30 and 65 to slow aging and prevent disease. While animal protein helps build muscle, it also raises IGF-1 hormone levels that accelerate biological aging. (Representational image: iStock)
If you're counting on steak to fuel you through the years, it might be time to rethink your plate. According to Dr. Joseph Antoun, longevity physician and CEO of the health-focused company L-Nutra, your love for animal protein could be accelerating your biological clock — especially if you're between 30 and 65.
In a recent interview with the New York Post , Dr. Antoun detailed how different kinds of protein affect aging, and why your diet should shift as you grow older. 'Animal-based diets stimulate IGF-1 and therefore help a consumer look good and muscular in the short term… but the body is in 'accelerated bio-age mode,' which leads to a shorter lifespan,' he explained.
IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1), a hormone key to cell growth and metabolism, can be a double-edged sword. While it supports muscle development, elevated levels—particularly triggered by animal proteins rich in arginine and leucine—can also speed up aging and disease formation in midlife. Dr. Antoun recommends tailoring your protein intake based on age. Before 30, meat can be part of a healthy, mixed diet as the body is still developing muscle and bone mass. After 65, it becomes essential again due to declining absorption and rapid muscle loss. But between those two milestones — from age 30 to 65 — the stakes change. 'This mid-life period is the age of disease formation and is when the speed and quality of aging mostly determines our lifespan,' Antoun warned.
That's why he champions the Longevity Diet , a mostly plant-based approach that prioritizes legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds over animal products. Diets like the Mediterranean, pescatarian, and flexitarian models also score high for promoting longer, healthier lives — thanks to their balance of plant-rich nutrition and heart-friendly fats. Antoun also pointed to a surprising observation: bodybuilders often look youthful in their prime but age dramatically later. 'They look great in the short term but end up looking far older than their real age in their 50s and 60s,' he said, noting that constant stimulation of IGF-1 can fast-track aging, even if it builds impressive muscle along the way. He warns that commercial food industries tend to glamorize muscular physiques as the ultimate health goal — when in fact, they may reflect an accelerated internal aging process. Dr. Antoun isn't suggesting you abandon all animal protein, especially not after 65. But he does urge caution — and selection. 'Red meat is high in saturated fats, while fish contains healthier, unsaturated fats,' he noted. Even among meats, different amino acid profiles can affect IGF-1 stimulation differently.
The bottom line? Eat plant-based when it counts the most — in your middle years — so that by the time you're in retirement, you can enjoy the occasional burger without guilt or risk.