Doctor reveals benefits of David Attenborough's 'long life' diet as he celebrates 100th birthday
Topics: David Attenborough, Documentaries, BBC, Nature, Film and TV
Thomas Bamford
Featured Image Credit: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
Topics: David Attenborough, Documentaries, BBC, Nature, Film and TV
The man who has spent over 70 years telling us how extraordinary life on Earth is has just proved his own point by celebrating a very special birthday milestone.
Sir David Attenborough turns 100 today, and the legendary nature presenter looks as sharp as ever: still narrating, still inspiring and living a strong and healthy life.
It's left many fans and doctors alike wondering the same question - what's his secret?
Well, he's actually been pretty open about it. And it's not anything out of the ordinary, no expensive supplements or a gruelling fitness regime. It's something far simpler.
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So what's he cut out? The Blue Planet legend very rarely eats red meat, and admitted that he's become much more vegetarian in his older age.
Speaking to The Times in 2020, Attenborough said: "I have certainly changed my diet. Not in a great sort of dramatic way."
He added: “I don’t eat meat. That’s not entirely true, I eat fish.
"It wasn’t a great sort of decision and I can’t pretend that it was motivated by any ecological conscience, but I now avoid red flesh.”
He continued that while he wasn't wholly vegetarian, he eventually became 'much more vegetarian' than he thought he would.
He admitted he still enjoyed cheese and fish, but had mostly kicked beef and pork.
Turns out, Doctors are firmly in Attenborough's corner on this one.
Cindy Hwang from MD Anderson recommends eating no more than 18 ounces of cooked red meat per week: "based on evidence and recommendations from organizations like the American Institute for Cancer Research."
The reasons go deeper than just cancer risk. Higher consumption of red and processed meats is strongly linked to increased risks of chronic diseases, including bowel cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, according to The Journal of Nutrition.
Hwang offered some clarity on the subject, suggesting the moderation is the goal, not total abstinence.
"It's not as if you have red meat once, your cancer risk skyrockets. It's not correlated like that," she said. "But the more red meat you eat, the higher the risk."
Her tips for keeping things sensible: "stick to leaner cuts like pork tenderloin or beef flank, go for ground meat that's 90% lean or higher, and cook at lower temperatures where you can, baking and broiling over open flame grilling.
On the processed meat front though, she's more firm. Bacon, sausages, salami, hot dogs, all of it increases colorectal cancer risk, and she recommends limiting or avoiding these foods where possible.
Despite private worries about ageing and the potential for mental decline, Attenborough has spoken candidly to the Mirror about the fears of becoming 'helpless' through conditions like Alzheimer's, he's showing no signs of slowing down, with his documentary Ocean released earlier this year.