Dietitians recommend the following five drinking habits to live longer.

There are numerous steps you can take to improve your chances of living a longer life, including regular physical activity, avoiding processed meals, and increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. Did you know, though, that certain drinking habits can add a few years to your life?

Indeed, experts have long studied why people in specific parts of the world known as "Blue Zones" live longer, and it appears to have a lot to do with their food. Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Icaria in Greece, and Okinawa in Japan are just a few of these places. While the average lifespan in the United States is 78 years, people in the Blue Zones are known to live to be well over 100 years old.

Wendy Lord, RD and consultant for Sensible Digs, says, "Their lifestyle practises, including what they eat and drink, are given credit for their longevity and health."

These individuals are clearly on to something. Fortunately, now that we know more about what these folks put into their bodies, we can try to replicate their diets in the hopes of extending our lives.

Here are expert-recommended drinking practises to help you live a longer life. Then, for more healthy advice, check out The #1 Best Juice to Drink Every Day, According to Science.

1.Use a straw to get your fruits and vegetables in.

The average diet in the Blue Zones is 95 percent plant-based. As a result, the more variety of fruits and vegetables you can include in your regular smoothies, the better.

According to Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, founder of Cancer Nutrition IQ, "research estimates that eating 10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day could avoid nearly 7 million premature deaths due by heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses."

"Finding methods to consume a plant-rich diet could potentially extend your life expectancy, regardless of how young or old you are," Dalzell explains. "When you eat a plant-based diet, your cells are inundated with health-promoting phytonutrients that defend against toxins, increase immunity, and repair tissues and blood vessels, increasing your longevity and vitality. Drinking a plant-based beverage may be the most convenient approach to reap the anti-aging effects."

While many fruits and vegetables include various vitamins, you should make it a point to include blueberries in your daily diet.

"Reducing inflammation is important for good ageing, and anthocyanins present in blueberries boost blood flow to the brain, supporting greater memory and calming sore joints," Dalzell adds.

2.Pomegranate juice should be consumed.

Do you want to seem youthful as you become older? Who doesn't like it? As it turns out, there's one juice in particular that could help.

"Pomegranate polyphenols have three times the antioxidant activity of red wine and green tea, and they protect against UV damage for healthier, smoother skin," explains Dalzell.

Always seek for 100 percent pomegranate juice with no added sugars to ensure that you're getting the most health benefits.

3.Use a plant-based protein powder instead.

"Refueling with a plant-based drink after a workout is a terrific way to incorporate excellent protein into your diet," Dalzell explains. "For example, soy protein helps to prevent age-related muscle loss known as sarcopenia by preserving muscle mass and promoting lean body mass growth."

Pea protein is another high-quality choice if you're trying to avoid soy products: one scoop can supply 15 to 20 grammes of protein for only 100 calories. Pea protein is also abundant in fibre, which has anti-aging advantages such as lowering cholesterol, reducing inflammation, protecting joints, preventing diabetes, and boosting gut health.

4.Tea or coffee should be consumed "black."

According to Heidi Moretti, a clinical RD and resident nutritional adviser at Sovereign Laboratories, both coffee and tea are high in antioxidants that assist to reduce disease-causing inflammation. However, if you add too much cream and/or sugar, these drinks may cause more harm than benefit.

"Adding sugar or any other type of sweetener negates the benefits of both drinks in their natural state," Moretti explains.

5.Make probiotic drinks a part of your daily regimen.

"A healthy gut prevents pathogen colonisation, detoxifies the body, and produces essential chemicals necessary for a balanced immunological response," Moretti explains. "Fermented beverages like kefir and kombucha help support a balanced inflammatory and immunological response by increasing the beneficial gut flora in your digestive tract."

Always check the label to make sure the sugar content isn't too high, according to Moretti. You'll also want to search for a label that says the drink contains "live and active cultures" so you know you're getting all of the gut-friendly bacteria's benefits.