Nutrition and longevity - diet in centenarians

Abstract

Background: Nutrition plays a central role in the biological mechanisms that shape aging, health span, and longevity. Micronutrients—including vitamins, trace elements, and polyphenols—support genomic stability, mitochondrial integrity, and antioxidant defense, while dietary patterns rich in plant-based foods modulate inflammation, metabolic regulation, and epigenetic processes. Centenarian populations consuming Mediterranean, Okinawan, Nordic, and Nicoyan diets offer a natural model for understanding how nutrient-rich, minimally processed foods, moderate caloric intake, and balanced lifestyles interact with molecular pathways to extend functional life.

Main Body: This review synthesizes current evidence on how micronutrients influence DNA repair, oxidative stress reduction, and mitochondrial protection, particularly through the actions of vitamins C and E, niacin-dependent PARP activity, folate-mediated methylation, and metal cofactors involved in antioxidant enzymes. Plant-based diets rich in fiber and polyphenols enhance microbial diversity and promote beneficial taxa such as Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium, supporting gut barrier integrity and immune balance. Caloric restriction and intermittent fasting activate nutrient-sensing pathways, including AMPK and sirtuins, reduce mTOR activity, and stimulate autophagy, collectively improving cellular resilience. Findings from centenarian regions highlight the convergence of lifestyle, nutrition, and cultural practices that reduce systemic inflammation, maintain metabolic flexibility, and support healthy aging trajectories.

Conclusions: Diet emerges as a decisive modifiable determinant of lifespan and health span. The convergence of molecular nutrition, microbiome composition, and traditional dietary habits underlies the exceptional longevity observed in centenarian populations. Future research should integrate nutrigenomics, metabolomics, and microbiome profiling to clarify causal mechanisms and guide precision nutrition strategies for aging societies.

Keywords: nutrition; Centenarians; Dietary patterns; Gut microbiota; Healthy aging.

Fig. 1

Nutritional approaches for supporting healthy aging and longevity, highlighting the Mediterranean, Okinawa, Nordic, and Vegetarian diets. These dietary patterns influence key hallmarks of aging, including inflammation, epigenetic aging and longevity-related markers [–11]. Abbreviations: IGF-1: insulin-like growth factor 1

Fig. 2

Nutrient-sensing and stress-responsive signaling pathways influenced by intermittent fasting. IF: intermittent fasting; GH: growth hormone; IGF-1: insulin-like growth factor 1; AMPK: AMP-activated protein kinase; mTOR: mammalian target of rapamycin; TFEB: transcription factor EB; TFE3: transcription factor E3; S6K: ribosomal protein S6 kinase; SIRT1/3: sirtuin 1/sirtuin 3; PGC-1α: peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha; FOXO: forkhead box O; NF-κB: nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells; IL-6: interleukin 6; Nrf2: nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor alpha