102-year-old nutrition professor shares the seven rules he swears by for a long life – and insists genes have NOT played a role in his longevity

A sprightly 102-year-old professor of nutrition has revealed the seven lifestyle habits that anyone can follow for a long and heathy life.

Dr John Scharffenberg, an adjunct professor at Loma Linda University in California,  recently revealed his advice for prolonging health and promoting longevity in a series of interviews and talks in several YouTube videos.

Born in December 1923, the doctor still lives an independent life, travels the world, drives by himself and remains mentally sharp.

Accordingly, the centenarian nutritionist is a living and breathing example of the potential health benefits that can result from following his seven lifestyle habits.

Dr Scharffenberg also dismissed the idea that genetics have played a role in his longevity, noting that his mother passed away in her 60s from Alzheimer’s disease, and that his father succumbed to a heart attack at 76. He has also outlived both of his less-active brothers.

The doctor believes that following his seven simple lifestyle rules can help prevent the on-set of age-related cardiovascular ailments like heart attacks, strokes and diabetes, which are leading causes of disease and death in developed countries.

The nutrition professor claims that abiding by his lifestyle rules can not only help prevent heart disease, but also potentially assist people to live a longer life.

Here’s a breakdown of Dr Scharffenberg’s seven lifestyle rules.

Rule #1 – Never smoke 

The doctor’s message is simple when it comes to smoking: don’t do it.

The 102-year-old has never smoked and explains that the dangers of tobacco have been well known and documented since the 1964 Surgeon General report.

Smoking is proven to harm almost every organ in the body and is one of the biggest causes of preventable illness and death in many countries around the world, including in Australia.

In 2018, smoking-related diseases killed almost 20,500 Australians, equating to almost 50 preventable deaths every day.

Rule #2 – Reassess beliefs around low-level drinking

In addition to never smoking, Dr Scharffenberg abstains from alcohol.

Despite research suggesting that light drinking or certain alcoholic drinks can offer some health benefits, Dr Scharffenberg pointed to studies that show any protective effects offered by a low-level of alcohol consumption are offset by an increased cancer risk.

His sentiment echoes the World Health Organization’s guidance suggesting that no alcohol is the safest choice.

Rule #3 – Keeping your body active is important – especially over 40

‘Even though I’m a nutritionist, I think exercise is even more important than nutrition,’ Dr Scharffenberg said in a video shared on Viva Longevity!

The doctor adds that he believes the most important life stage to exercise is during mid life, from the ages of 40 to 70.

‘That’s when you need it, because that’s the time when people usually relax, have more money, buy more food, sit around more, eat more… and that’s the wrong way to go.’

The professor’s preferred exercise routine is gardening and vigorous walking. He also referred to a study that found people who walked more than two miles (3.22km) a day had only half the death rate of those who were less active.

Dr Scharffenberg even said in an interview with TODAY that he believes his highly active lifestyle was the reason he ‘outlived’ his two brothers by decades. 

‘The main difference was I got a tremendous amount of exercise,’ he theorised. 

Rule #4 – No snacking and eat by the clock

At the core of Dr Scharffenberg’s rules is that what you eat makes a difference – and that means ensuring you maintain a healthy weight.

The nutrition professor recommends implementing simple guidelines around eating habits to ensure you don’t gain unnecessary weight.

‘Eat at the proper time. That means no snacking,’ Dr Scharffenberg said in an interview.

‘Eat a variety of natural, non-processed foods in quantities for ideal weight… that’s all you need to know.’

In a separate video, Dr Scharffenberg also spoke of abiding by intermittent fasting, which has been shown to have health benefits. The expert explained that his final meal of the day is in the early afternoon and that he doesn’t consume any food again until 6.30am.

Rule #5 – Consider ditching this food for good

As a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Dr Scharffenberg has adhered to a vegetarian diet since childhood.

The centenarian said that although he did later try meat, he hasn’t eaten it since he was 20 years old. Instead, he follows a total plant-based diet, which includes milk and eggs. 

Dr Scharffenberg’s favourite foods include mangoes, persimmons, potatoes, macadamias and other nuts and seeds.

He says a vegetarian diet is ‘optimum’ because eating too much meat can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Rule #6 – Get saturated fat intake down by cutting meat

This rule ties back into Dr Scharffenberg’s edict about the benefits of adopting a vegetarian diet, because loads of saturated fats come from meat like beef, pork and poultry.

Accordingly, Dr Scharffenberg says adhering to a vegetarian diet and getting rid of animal fat intake is the simplest way to avoid the risks associated with high saturated fat intake, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Rule #7 – Say ‘no’ to your sweet tooth

Dr Scharffenberg points to a clear link between sugar consumption and the increased risk of heart disease as well as other weight gain related health issues

He recommends modifying recipes to reduce sugar intake. For instance, he suggests swapping sugary syrups used on pancakes and waffles for fruits and cashew cream.

The World Health Organisation recommends sugars make up no more than 10 per cent of our total dietary energy intake (kilojules), or less than 12 teaspoons per day. 

Reducing your intake to less than 5 per cent of your daily energy intake (6 teaspoons or 25g) provides even more health benefits.