What Should You Eat to Live Longer?
Harness the power of plants to reduce oxidative stress and enhance well-being.
Posted June 17, 2025 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley
Humans have lusted after immortality for as long as they have been alive. Once, alchemists sought to create the Philosopher's Stone that could be used to create the Elixir of Life; legends of various cultures mention searching for the Fountain of Youth. So far, the quest has been unsuccessful; we still die. Why?
The more days that you have been alive, the more likely you are to die. This is true for you, your dog, the birds and the bees and flies and worms, and every living thing. What do all of these living things do every day that leads inexorably to death? We eat. Eating provides the cells of the body with the energy stored within the carbon bonds that are contained within the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins that make up the diet . Breathing brings oxygen to the mitochondria to carry away the carbon debris that forms when these bonds are broken apart. This single critical activity, called oxidative metabolism or respiration, which is absolutely essential for daily survival, is the most important factor that very slowly, minute by minute and day by day, ages every one of us, and our pets , until the day we die. During respiration, nitrogen and oxygen are converted into highly reactive molecules that initiate a series of biochemical changes that are toxic to our cells.
The generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species is an inevitable consequence of life. Ordinarily, the formation and degradation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are regulated by cellular defense systems that include a group of scavenging enzymes able to remove oxidants or their precursors. In addition, non-enzymatic antioxidants such as vitamins E and C delay or prevent the production of reactive species. Repair and removal systems complete the damaging defense. However, even if these preventive and repair systems are working efficiently, they cannot fully prevent oxidative damage. This imbalance between the excessive production of reactive species and the body’s ability to detoxify them or repair the resulting damage is termed “ oxidative stress .” Oxidative stress predisposes us to numerous physical and psychiatric illnesses that may last for many decades. For example, oxidative and nitrosative stress mediate the cross-sensitization between bipolar disorder and migraine . Oxidative stress directly damages cellular proteins throughout the body. Because we eat every day, we produce oxidative stress.
That’s why we are constantly being reminded to consume fewer calories every day (the only scientifically valid way to slow the aging process) and eat antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables (to defend your body from the consequences of breathing) to live a healthier life.
Plants have no interest in humans at all. Plants do not produce antioxidants and anti-inflammatory chemicals for our benefit. They produce these chemicals for their survival. Plants stand immobile, collecting solar radiation and producing lots of oxygen. Consequently, plants are exposed to very high levels of oxidative stress and free radicals that can easily harm their proteins. In addition, similar to what happens in animal cells, the mitochondria and chloroplasts leak lots of free radicals during photosynthesis. Plants use oxygen, water, and the hydrocarbons they create during photosynthesis to produce chemicals that can protect them from oxidative stress and these free radicals. One of the most famous antioxidants discovered in plants is vitamin C.
Eat the colorful ones
Fruits, vegetables, and food legumes contain high levels of phytochemicals that act as anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. The most common group of these is flavonoids. Flavonoids, such as anthocyanins, absorb specific wavelengths of light and give fruits and vegetables (and flowers) their vibrant blue, purple, and red colors.
Another phytochemical critical for photosynthesis is chlorophyll, which makes plants green. It is thought that the flavonoids evolved to protect the chloroplasts, which contain chlorophyll, from photodamage due to direct sunlight. Anthocyanins also play significant roles in plant propagation, ecophysiology, and plant defense mechanisms . You should eat these colorful phytochemicals every day; their effects need to be restored daily. Anthocyanins are absorbed well in the stomach and intestines and undergo extensive liver metabolism as soon as they are absorbed from the gut.
An anti-inflammatory diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables will defend the body from the consequences of constantly eating and breathing and significantly slow all the known biochemical processes that underlie normal and pathological aging.
Even if you do all these things, you will not live forever. However, you may live a healthier and longer life.
Wenk GL (2019) Your Brain on Food : How Chemicals Control Your Thoughts and Feelings, 3rd Ed. Oxford University Press.
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Gary L. Wenk, Ph.D. , is a professor of psychology, neuroscience, molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics at the Ohio State University.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.