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Study Shows Meat Eaters Are More Likely to Survive to 100, But There's a Catch : ScienceAlert (opens in a new tab)

sciencealert.com · 2026-10-14

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Short answer

Mostly not supported

Mostly not supported.

The claims we could check match the study, but some claims were not covered by the evidence reviewed.

  • 1 supported
  • 4 not covered

Checked against the study summary. The full text wasn't available, so some details couldn't be settled either way.

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Mostly not supported

The one claim we could check holds up. One of five claims matches the study. This overall rating is based only on the claims we could check. Four claims the study doesn't address.

  • 1 supported
  • 4 not covered
Open claim evidence
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5 claims in this story

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Claim 1 of 5Not coveredAmong more than 5,000 people aged 80 and over in a study from China, female meat eaters were more likely to reach age 100 than female vegetarians.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The abstract-level profile supports a study of 5,203 Chinese adults aged 80+ and an overall association in which vegetarians had lower odds of becoming centenarians than omnivores. However, the supplied abstract profile does not report sex-stratified results, so the specific claim that this association was present among females cannot be verified at this evidence depth.

1

Study evidence

Vegetarian (overall) compared with omnivorous diet was associated with lower odds of becoming a centenarian in adults aged ≥80 y.OR 0.81 (95% CI 0.69–0.96)

“This prospective nested case-control study included 5203 participants aged 80+ y from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey”
Claim 2 of 5Not coveredThere was no significant association between longevity and vegetarianism among males when the researchers analyzed the data by sex.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The supplied abstract profile does not include male-specific or sex-stratified analyses. Therefore the claim that there was no significant association among males is not verifiable from the abstract-depth evidence provided.

1

Study evidence

Vegetarian (overall) compared with omnivorous diet was associated with lower odds of becoming a centenarian in adults aged ≥80 y.OR 0.81 (95% CI 0.69–0.96)

“This prospective nested case-control study included 5203 participants aged 80+ y from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey”
Claim 3 of 5Not coveredThe apparent advantage for meat eaters was limited to vegetarian participants who were underweight; the article says daily meat consumption was associated with a 44 percent higher likelihood of reaching 100 years old compared with a vegetarian diet in the underweight group, but not in normal-weight or overweight groups.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated44 percent higher likelihood

Why this verdict

The abstract-level profile supports the general BMI-stratified pattern: vegetarians had lower odds of becoming centenarians in the BMI <18.5 group, while the association was not statistically significant for BMI ≥18.5. But the story’s more specific phrasing about daily meat consumption, a 44 percent higher likelihood, and separate normal-weight versus overweight groups is not present in the abstract profile. The profile reports vegetarian vs omnivore OR 0.72 for BMI <18.5 and OR 0.92 for BMI ≥18.5, with P-interaction = 0.08.

1

Study evidence

Among participants with BMI <18.5 kg/m2, vegetarians had a lower likelihood of becoming centenarians compared with omnivores.OR 0.72 (95% CI 0.57–0.91)

“The significant association was seen in individuals with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 ... but not for those with BMI ≥18.5 kg/m2”
Claim 4 of 5Not coveredThe story says the study can only reveal associations, and that changes in diet over time and chewing difficulty in later life could have influenced the results.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The abstract profile supports the caveat that the study is observational and cannot establish causality. However, the specific caveats about diet changes over time and chewing difficulty influencing results are not included in the supplied abstract-level profile, so those portions are not verifiable at this depth.

1

Study evidence

Vegetarian (overall) compared with omnivorous diet was associated with lower odds of becoming a centenarian in adults aged ≥80 y.OR 0.81 (95% CI 0.69–0.96)

“This prospective nested case-control study included 5203 participants aged 80+ y from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey”
2

Study evidence

Among participants with BMI <18.5 kg/m2, vegetarians had a lower likelihood of becoming centenarians compared with omnivores.OR 0.72 (95% CI 0.57–0.91)

“The significant association was seen in individuals with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 ... but not for those with BMI ≥18.5 kg/m2”
Claim 5 of 5SupportedVegetarians who ate fish, dairy, or eggs had a similar chance of reaching 100 as meat eaters.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The abstract profile reports that pesco-vegetarians and ovo-lacto-vegetarians did not have statistically significant differences in odds of becoming centenarians compared with omnivores: pesco OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.64–1.09; ovo-lacto OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.67–1.09. The story’s wording that vegetarians who ate fish, dairy, or eggs had a similar chance as meat eaters is a reasonable lay rendering of these non-significant comparisons, though it should not be read as proof of equivalence.

1

Study evidence

Overall vegetarians (combined) had lower odds of becoming centenarians compared with omnivores.OR 0.81 (95% CI 0.69–0.96)

“Participants were classified as omnivores and vegetarians, and further into vegetarian subgroups (pesco-vegetarians, ovo-lacto-vegetarians, and vegans)”
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Context layer

What the story left out

Important study details the story did not include.

  • Interaction caveat: evidence for BMI effect modification was borderline, with P-interaction = 0.08, and subgroup analyses may have limited robustness.

    The story mentions BMI as a possible explanatory factor, but the presented caveats do not indicate that the formal interaction test was borderline or that the subgroup interpretation is therefore less robust.

    From Subgroup/interaction analysis (nested case-control)

  • Potential selection and survivor biases: analyses were restricted to adults aged 80+, so baseline health and prior life-course exposures may influence both diet and survival.

    The story mentions diet changes over time and chewing difficulty, but the supplied caveats do not reflect the profile’s limitation about selection/survivor bias in an oldest-old cohort.

    From prospective nested case-control

  • Limited abstract detail: the abstract does not report full covariate adjustment, detailed dietary assessment methods, or stratum-specific sample sizes for subgroup analyses.

    The story notes possible influences such as diet change and chewing difficulty, but it does not reflect the profile-level limitation that, at abstract depth, important methodological details and subgroup sample sizes are not available.

    From prospective nested case-control; Subgroup/interaction analysis (nested case-control)

6 things the story did carry across
  • Study design and population: prospective nested case-control analysis within the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, including 5,203 Chinese adults aged 80+ with follow-up through 2018.
  • Primary finding: overall vegetarians had lower odds of becoming centenarians than omnivores, OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.69–0.96.
  • Vegetarian subtype finding: vegans had statistically lower odds than omnivores, while pesco-vegetarians and ovo-lacto-vegetarians were not statistically significantly different from omnivores.
  • BMI-stratified finding: the vegetarian-versus-omnivore association was statistically significant in participants with BMI <18.5 but not in those with BMI ≥18.5.
  • Observational limitation: the nested case-control observational design cannot establish causality and is subject to residual confounding.
  • Generalizability limitation: findings are specific to the Chinese oldest-old CLHLS population and may not apply to younger people, other settings, or all diet patterns.
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Pieces of work

3

Evidence read

study summary

Lead result

human in vivo

1Lead resulthuman in vivoTest whether following a vegetarian diet (vs omnivorous diet) in Chinese adults aged ≥80 years is associated with the likelihood of surviving to age 100 (becoming a centenarian).prospective nested case-controlExpand

In plain English

Nested case-control analysis within the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (participants aged ≥80 y) evaluated whether following a vegetarian (vs omnivorous) dietary pattern was associated with likelihood of surviving to age 100. Multivariable unconditional logistic regression found that vegetarians had lower odds of becoming centenarians compared with omnivores; similar patterns were observed for vegans but not for pesco- or ovo-lacto-vegetarians. A stronger association was reported among participants with BMI <18.5 kg/m2.

Key findings

  • Vegetarian (overall) compared with omnivorous diet was associated with lower odds of becoming a centenarian in adults aged ≥80 y.OR 0.81 (95% CI 0.69–0.96)
  • Vegan diet (a vegetarian subtype) was associated with lower odds of becoming a centenarian relative to omnivores.OR 0.71 (95% CI 0.54–0.98)
“This prospective nested case-control study included 5203 participants aged 80+ y from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey”
What this piece can’t prove
  • Observational nested case-control design cannot establish causality and is subject to residual confounding.
  • Abstract does not report covariates adjusted for in multivariable models or dietary assessment methods beyond classification by animal-derived food consumption.
  • Potential selection and survivor biases inherent to analyses restricted to adults aged 80+; baseline health and prior life-course exposures may influence both diet and survival.
  • Generalizability limited to the Chinese oldest-old population included in CLHLS and may not apply to younger populations or other settings.

1 further detail could not be confirmed from the summary.

2human in vivoAssess whether the association differs by type of vegetarian diet (pesco-vegetarian, ovo-lacto-vegetarian, vegan) compared with omnivory.Nested case-control within CLHLSExpand

In plain English

In a nested case-control analysis of 5203 Chinese adults aged ≥80 y (1459 centenarians, 3744 noncentenarians) from the CLHLS, investigators classified participants into omnivores and vegetarian subtypes (pesco‑vegetarian, ovo‑lacto‑vegetarian, vegan) and used multivariable unconditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for living to age 100 by 2018. Relative to omnivores, overall vegetarians had lower odds of becoming centenarians (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.69–0.96); this pattern was statistically significant for vegans (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.54–0.98) but not for pesco‑vegetarians (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.64–1.09) or ovo‑lacto‑vegetarians (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.67–1.09).

Key findings

  • Overall vegetarians (combined) had lower odds of becoming centenarians compared with omnivores.OR 0.81 (95% CI 0.69–0.96)
  • Vegans had lower odds of becoming centenarians compared with omnivores.OR 0.71 (95% CI 0.54–0.98)
“Participants were classified as omnivores and vegetarians, and further into vegetarian subgroups (pesco-vegetarians, ovo-lacto-vegetarians, and vegans)”
3human in vivoExplore effect modification of the vegetarian diet–centenarian association by BMI category (<18.5 vs ≥18.5 kg/m²) in the oldest-old.Subgroup/interaction analysis (nested case-control)Expand

In plain English

Within a nested case-control sample of Chinese adults aged ≥80 y, the association between vegetarian diet (vs omnivore) and likelihood of becoming a centenarian was examined separately in BMI strata (<18.5 vs ≥18.5 kg/m2). The study reports a lower likelihood of becoming a centenarian for vegetarians overall and a stronger, statistically significant inverse association in the underweight stratum (BMI <18.5), with a non-significant association in the higher-BMI stratum; the formal test for interaction yielded P = 0.08.

Key findings

  • Among participants with BMI <18.5 kg/m2, vegetarians had a lower likelihood of becoming centenarians compared with omnivores.OR 0.72 (95% CI 0.57–0.91)
  • Among participants with BMI ≥18.5 kg/m2, the association between vegetarian diet and becoming a centenarian was not statistically significant.OR 0.92 (95% CI 0.73–1.17)
“The significant association was seen in individuals with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 ... but not for those with BMI ≥18.5 kg/m2”
What this piece can’t prove
  • Abstract does not report stratum-specific sample sizes or detailed covariate-adjustment lists for the BMI strata.
  • P-interaction = 0.08 is borderline and does not meet conventional thresholds for statistical interaction; abstract does not provide further sensitivity or multiplicity analyses.

1 further detail could not be confirmed from the summary.

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Papers considered

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PubMed, Europe PMC, Crossref · 17 candidate papers

And 11 more candidates considered.