Longevity via Nutrition

Historical accounts of populations that have purportedly experienced greater longevity because of the low meat content of their diet are often cited in literature promoting the health benefits of the vegetarian diet. specifically, certain geographically isolated, agrarian peoples (ie, Hunzakuts, Vilcabambas, mountain dwellers of Turkey, Russian Caucasus) who follow primarily plant-based diets have reported ages that raise the possibility that their life expectancy may far exceed 70 years. During World Wars I and II, wartime food restrictions that virtually eliminated meat consumption in Scandinavian countries were followed by a decline in the mortality rate (by 2 deaths/1000) that returned to prewar levels after the restriction was lifted.
The life expectancy of adults in Japan and certain Mediterranean countries is up to 2 years longer than their peers in Western nations in which the per capita meat intake has, over the past few decades, been substantially higher.