With new supplements, eating plans and wellness fads appearing almost daily, working out what genuinely supports a long, healthy life can feel like a challenge.
However, experts say healthy ageing may depend on a surprisingly broad range of foods – including several items many people might otherwise dismiss as treats.
Owen Filer is a striking example. Believed to be ‘Wales’ oldest man’, he celebrated his 107th birthday on October 19.
Rather than pointing to a diet built around fruit, vegetables and vitamin supplements, Owen attributes his remarkable longevity to a much-loved British takeaway: fish and chips.
‘How I got here I’ll never know, but I’ve met a lot of people who have admired me and asked me how do I do it. There is no secret, you just live properly, and I’ve always done it. I’ve never overeaten… I lived on fish and chips,’ he said.
Dr Asiya Maula, a private GP and longevity specialist at The Health Suite, told the Daily Mail: ‘People often assume that eating for longevity means following a restrictive diet or cutting out all their favourite foods.
‘In reality, the evidence points towards a varied, balanced diet built around plants, fibre and healthy fats, with room for some foods that might surprise you.’
From coffee and cheese to an evening square of dark chocolate, these are the unexpected foods experts say may have a place in a diet linked with longer life…
Owen Filer, who reached 107 on October 19, attributes his longevity to the classic British meal of fish and chips
1. Fish and chips
Nutritionist Brenda Heather: Owen’s fish and chips theory may contain more nutritional logic than it initially appears. Cod and haddock provide lean protein, while potatoes offer potassium and fibre – particularly when the skins are left on.
The less healthy elements are usually the batter and the size of the serving, meaning frequency matters more than the dish itself.
Choosing a smaller portion and adding mushy peas can increase the meal’s fibre and protein, creating a more balanced plate.
Dr Ramon Velazquez, scientific advisor at Mind Lab Pro: DHA, an omega-3 fat found in high amounts in oily fish, forms part of the membranes surrounding neurons. That may help explain why fish is repeatedly associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline in research.
There is an important limitation, though: cod and haddock, the usual chip-shop choices, are lean white fish and contain significantly less DHA than salmon, sardines or mackerel. For the strongest brain-related benefits, oily fish are the better option.
2. Coffee
Dr Maula: Coffee is often labelled a guilty pleasure, but research has consistently associated moderate consumption with a lower risk of death from a range of causes.
It contains polyphenols [they act as antioxidants, helping neutralise harmful free radicals and reduce inflammation linked to chronic disease], along with other compounds that may benefit metabolic and cardiovascular health.
The key difference is whether you are drinking coffee or effectively eating a dessert loaded with sugar and flavoured syrups. And if you do not enjoy coffee, there is no health-related reason to force yourself to start drinking it.
Ms Heather: Data from the UK Biobank associated drinking two to three cups of coffee daily with a lower risk of premature death. Coffee is also among the leading sources of polyphenols in the British diet, especially compounds known as chlorogenic acids.
The benefits seem to hold for instant and decaf as well, so you don’t need an expensive habit. Skip the syrups and whipped cream, which can turn a near-zero-calorie drink into a dessert.
Dr Velazquez: Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, which is why it sharpens alertness, and large population studies have linked regular coffee drinking with lower Parkinson’s risk.
That’s an association, not proof. Timing matters too. Caffeine late in the day can disrupt deep sleep, which is when the brain clears metabolic waste, so an afternoon cup could undo some of the morning’s good.
3. Cheese
Dr Maula: Cheese can absolutely have a place in a healthy diet. It provides protein, calcium and other nutrients important for maintaining muscle and bone health as we age.
Some observational research has also found associations between cheese consumption and lower mortality, although this does not prove that cheese itself makes us live longer.
It can be high in saturated fat and salt, so portion size and the overall diet still matter.
Ms Heather: In observational research, fermented dairy hasn’t shown the heart risk many people expect, and hard cheeses bring calcium and protein.
One explanation is the way cheese’s proteins, fats and minerals are bound together, which seems to change how the body handles its saturated fat.
It’s salty, so a matchbox-sized portion is plenty.
4. Eggs and oily fish
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Dr Maula: Salmon, sardines, mackerel and trout provide omega-3 fatty acids, which support normal heart function, as well as protein and other important nutrients.
Fish is not a miracle longevity food, but including oily fish as part of a balanced diet can help people meet their nutritional needs as they age.
Dr Velazquez: Yolks are among the richest dietary sources of choline, which the brain uses to make acetylcholine, a chemical messenger central to memory.
Many adults fall short of recommended choline intake without realising it, and eggs are one of the easiest ways to close that gap.
Ms Heather: They’re cheap, long-life sources of omega-3. Eat the soft bones and you get calcium too.
Oily fish is also one of the few foods that naturally contains vitamin D, which many Brits run low on over winter.
The NHS recommends two portions of fish a week, one of them oily, and a tin on toast is the easiest way to get there.
5. Beans, lentils and leafy greens
Dr Maula: These are some of the most underrated foods for healthy ageing. They provide fibre, plant protein, minerals and slowly digested carbohydrates, helping support gut health, fullness and healthy blood sugar levels.
Regularly replacing some processed or red meat with beans or lentils is a simple way to improve the nutritional quality of meals without spending a fortune.
Ms Heather: Pulses feature heavily in the traditional diets of some of the world’s longest-lived populations. They’re high in fibre, and most UK adults eat around 20g a day against a recommended 30g.
A tin of chickpeas counts, and rinsing it cuts the added salt.
In a Rush University study of older adults, about a daily serving tracked with cognitive scores resembling people roughly 11 years younger.
Spinach and kale carry vitamin K, lutein and folate, all of which have been linked to brain ageing in research.
6. Cooled potatoes and rice, and extra virgin olive oil
Ms Heather: Cooling them after cooking forms resistant starch, which feeds your gut bacteria. It also tends to cause a gentler rise in blood sugar than freshly cooked versions.
With rice, cool it within an hour, keep it in the fridge and reheat it only once until it’s steaming hot.
Dr Maula: Olive oil is another food worth prioritising. It is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains polyphenols, which may help support cardiovascular health.
Using it in place of butter or other fats high in saturated fat is a practical change that fits well with Mediterranean-style eating patterns, which have been widely studied in relation to healthy ageing.
7. Dark chocolate and fermented foods
Ms Heather: Cocoa flavanols support blood vessel function.
Heavy processing strips many of them out, so a higher cocoa percentage is a rough guide to getting more. That means a couple of squares, not the whole bar.
Yogurt, kefir and kimchi feed the gut microbiome, which communicates with the brain through the vagus nerve.
In a Stanford trial, ten weeks of a fermented-food diet increased microbiome diversity and lowered markers of inflammation.
8. Herbs, plants, nuts and seeds
Dr Maula: A small handful of unsalted nuts or seeds can provide unsaturated fats, fibre, protein and minerals.
They are particularly useful for supporting heart health, and studies of healthy ageing consistently associate diets rich in nuts and other plant foods with better long-term outcomes.
Walnuts, almonds, chia seeds and ground flaxseed are easy additions to porridge, salads or snacks.
Different plants provide different fibres and polyphenols, which help nourish the gut microbiome. Think beyond fruit and vegetables: beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, herbs and spices all count.
Ms Heather: These quietly count towards 30 plants a week. The American Gut Project found that people eating 30 or more plant types had more varied gut bacteria than those eating 10 or fewer.
Variety matters because different gut microbes thrive on different plant fibres. A spoonful of mixed seeds, a pinch of cinnamon and some fresh parsley add three plants before lunch.
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