A prominent longevity expert has urged people to incorporate "at least" three particular food types into their daily meals to boost life expectancy. The advice is based on eating patterns found in Blue Zones - areas across the globe renowned for fewer chronic illnesses and greater numbers of people living past 100.

While diets vary between these different zones, there are common threads which experts believe are fundamental to their exceptional longevity.

These include eating "wholesome, nutrient-dense, and fibre-rich foods" such as various plants, beans and healthy fats, whilst cutting back on sugar and processed foods.

Dan Buettner, who penned the Blue Zones Kitchen cookbook, explores the eating habits behind some of the world's longest-living communities on BlueZones.com.

"None of the Blue Zones centenarians I've ever met tried to live to 100," he notes.

"No one said at age 50, 'You know what, I'm going to get on that longevity diet and live another 50 years!'"

Buettner comments that: "They don't count calories, take vitamins, weigh protein grams, or even read labels. They don't restrict their food intake-in fact, they all celebrate with food."

Amongst his suggestions is a list of 10 "super blue foods". Dan recommends eating "at least" three of these daily to maintain a whole food-based diet:

• Fruits - all varieties


• Greens - spinach, kale, chard, beetroot tops, fennel tops


• Beans - all varieties: black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, lentils


• Nuts - all varieties: almonds, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, cashews


• Olive oil - green, extra-virgin is typically the best quality (note that olive oil deteriorates quickly, so purchase no more than a month's supply at a time)


• Sweet potatoes


• Turmeric - as a spice or a tea


• Oats - slow-cooking or Irish steel-cut are preferable


• Barley - either in soups, as a hot cereal, or ground in bread


• Green or herbal teas

He went on to say: "The findings here represent a long-term, statistical, and science-based study.

"We needed information that was not just anecdotal or based on interviews, visits in the kitchen, or shared meals with individual centenarians.

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"We analysed over 150 dietary studies conducted in Blue Zones over the past century, and then we distilled those studies to arrive at a global average of what centenarians really ate.

"Here we provide some guidelines you can follow to eat a Blue Zones diet like they do and live to 100."