Experts reveal the 8 surprising foods that can help you live longer - after 'oldest man in Wales', 107, insisted fish and chips are the winning diet

With new supplements, diets and wellness trends constantly emerging, it can often feel near-impossible to gauge what is truly the key to a long and healthy life. Yet according to the experts, the key to healthy ageing actually lies in a number of unexpected foods - many of which you may have initially written off as an indulgence.One individual who certainly knows just how to achieve longevity is Owen Filler, who is believed to be 'Wales' oldest man' after reaching the remarkable age of 107 on October 19.But rather than citing a diet of fruit, vegetables and vitamins, Owen instead credits his healthy old age to a British pub classic: fish and chips. 'How I got here I'll never know, but I've met a lot of people who have admired me and asked me how do I do it. There is no secret, you just live properly, and I've always done it. I've never overeaten… I lived on fish and chips,' he said. Dr Asiya Maula, private GP and longevity expert at The Health Suite, told the Daily Mail: 'People often assume that eating for longevity means following a restrictive diet or cutting out all their favourite foods. 'In reality, the evidence points towards a varied, balanced diet built around plants, fibre and healthy fats, with room for some foods that might surprise you.'From coffee to cheese and even a delightful bar of dark chocolate as your evening sweet treat, read on to discover the surprising foods that can help you live longer... According to the experts, the key to a longer life actually lies in surprisingly ordinary foods. Owen Filler, who is believed to be 'Wales' oldest man' at 107, credits his longevity to a British pub classic: fish and chipsFish and chipsNutritionist Brenda Heather: There's more sense in the fish and chips claim than it first sounds. Cod and haddock are lean protein, and potatoes bring potassium and fibre, especially with the skins on. The batter and the portion size are where it tips over, so how often you eat it matters more than the meal itself. A smaller portion with mushy peas adds fibre and protein and makes the whole plate more balanced.Dr Ramon Velazquez, scientific advisor at Mind Lab Pro: DHA, an omega-3 fat abundant in oily fish, is built into the membranes of neurons, and it's one reason fish keeps appearing in studies of slower cognitive decline. The catch is that cod and haddock, the chip-shop staples, are lean white fish with far less DHA than salmon, sardines or mackerel. If you want the brain benefit, the oily varieties do most of the work.CoffeeDr Maula: Coffee is an interesting one because it is often treated as a guilty pleasure. However, research has repeatedly linked moderate coffee consumption with a lower risk of death from various causes.Coffee contains polyphenols and other compounds that may help support metabolic and cardiovascular health. The important distinction is between drinking coffee itself and turning it into a dessert with lots of added sugar and syrup. There is no need to start drinking coffee for health reasons if you do not enjoy it.Ms Heather: UK Biobank data linked two to three cups a day with a lower risk of early death. Coffee is also one of the biggest sources of polyphenols in the British diet, mostly compounds called chlorogenic acids. The benefits seem to hold for instant and decaf as well, so you don't need an expensive habit. Skip the syrups and whipped cream, which can turn a near-zero-calorie drink into a dessert.Dr Velazquez: Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, which is why it sharpens alertness, and large population studies have linked regular coffee drinking with lower Parkinson's risk. That's an association, not proof. Timing matters too. Caffeine late in the day can disrupt deep sleep, which is when the brain clears metabolic waste, so an afternoon cup could undo some of the morning's good.CheeseDr Maula: Cheese can absolutely have a place in a healthy diet. It provides protein, calcium and other nutrients important for maintaining muscle and bone health as we age. Some observational research has also found associations between cheese consumption and lower mortality, although this does not prove that cheese itself makes us live longer. It can be high in saturated fat and salt, so portion size and the overall diet still matter.'Ms Heather: In observational research, fermented dairy hasn't shown the heart risk many people expect, and hard cheeses bring calcium and protein. One explanation is the way cheese's proteins, fats and minerals are bound together, which seems to change how the body handles its saturated fat. It's salty, so a matchbox-sized portion is plenty.Eggs and oily fish Dr Maula: Salmon, sardines, mackerel and trout provide omega-3 fatty acids, which support normal heart function, as well as protein and other important nutrients. Fish is not a miracle longevity food, but including oily fish as part of a balanced diet can help people meet their nutritional needs as they age.Dr Velazquez: Yolks are among the richest dietary sources of choline, which the brain uses to make acetylcholine, a chemical messenger central to memory. Many adults fall short of recommended choline intake without realising it, and eggs are one of the easiest ways to close that gap.Ms Heather: They're cheap, long-life sources of omega-3. Eat the soft bones and you get calcium too. Oily fish is also one of the few foods that naturally contains vitamin D, which many Brits run low on over winter. The NHS recommends two portions of fish a week, one of them oily, and a tin on toast is the easiest way to get there.Beans and lentils and leafy greens Dr Maula: These are some of the most underrated foods for healthy ageing. They provide fibre, plant protein, minerals and slowly digested carbohydrates, helping support gut health, fullness and healthy blood sugar levels. Regularly replacing some processed or red meat with beans or lentils is a simple way to improve the nutritional quality of meals without spending a fortune.Ms Heather: Pulses feature heavily in the traditional diets of some of the world's longest-lived populations. They're high in fibre, and most UK adults eat around 20g a day against a recommended 30g. A tin of chickpeas counts, and rinsing it cuts the added salt.In a Rush University study of older adults, about a daily serving tracked with cognitive scores resembling people roughly 11 years younger. Spinach and kale carry vitamin K, lutein and folate, all of which have been linked to brain ageing in research. Cooled potatoes and rice, and extra virgin olive oilMs Heather: Cooling them after cooking forms resistant starch, which feeds your gut bacteria. It also tends to cause a gentler rise in blood sugar than freshly cooked versions. With rice, cool it within an hour, keep it in the fridge and reheat it only once until it's steaming hot.Dr Maula: This is another food worth prioritising. It is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains polyphenols, which may help support cardiovascular health. Using it in place of butter or other fats high in saturated fat is a practical change that fits well with Mediterranean-style eating patterns, which have been widely studied in relation to healthy ageing.Dark chocolate and fermented foods Ms Heather: Cocoa flavanols support blood vessel function. Heavy processing strips many of them out, so a higher cocoa percentage is a rough guide to getting more. That means a couple of squares, not the whole bar.Yogurt, kefir and kimchi feed the gut microbiome, which communicates with the brain through the vagus nerve. In a Stanford trial, ten weeks of a fermented-food diet increased microbiome diversity and lowered markers of inflammation. Herbs, plants, nuts and seeds Dr Maula: A small handful of unsalted nuts or seeds can provide unsaturated fats, fibre, protein and minerals. They are particularly useful for supporting heart health, and studies of healthy ageing consistently associate diets rich in nuts and other plant foods with better long-term outcomes. Walnuts, almonds, chia seeds and ground flaxseed are easy additions to porridge, salads or snacks.Different plants provide different fibres and polyphenols, which help nourish the gut microbiome. Think beyond fruit and vegetables: beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, herbs and spices all count. Thirty is not a magic number, and there is no need to feel you have failed if you do not reach it. The bigger win is increasing variety over time.” Ms Heather: These quietly count towards 30 plants a week. The American Gut Project found that people eating 30 or more plant types had more varied gut bacteria than those eating 10 or fewer. Variety matters because different gut microbes thrive on different plant fibres. A spoonful of mixed seeds, a pinch of cinnamon and some fresh parsley add three plants before lunch.