Four snacks you should avoid to 'live to 100 years old' according to 'blue zone' expert

We all need something to pick us up after a stressful day, and the right treat can do just that.

But not all snacks are created equally, and while you might think switching out a sweet snack for a savoury one might be better for you, think again.

According to 'blue zone' expert Dan Buettner, there are four types of treats that 'should never make it through your front door'.

For those not in the know, the 'blue zone' is a region of the world where people are claimed to have exceptionally long lives beyond the age of 100 due to their lifestyles. However, many experts have claimed to have debunked these 'blue zones', with Dr. Saul Newman of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing even being awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for his work debunking Blue Zones.

Firstly, it's worth noting that Buettner doesn't explicitly say not to consume these treats once in a while, but simply not to have them in your home, so that they can't tempt you all the time.

Processed meats

Processed meats can lead to cancer and heart disease (Getty Images)

The first food that he suggests keeping out of your house is processed meats. He goes on to say that 'we know that they are associated with cancer'.

According to Healthline, it's not just cancer that is associated with processed meats, as they are also linked to other health complications such as heart disease too.

Processed meats include the likes of:

• Sausages
• Ham
• Chorizo
• Bacon
• Pepperoni
• Beef jerky
• Corned beef
• Pâtés
• Luncheon meats

While I can personally live a happy life without most of those, the mere thought of removing bacon from my diet makes me question if I even want to live to 100 without it.

Sugar sweetened beverages

Sugar sweetened beverages can cause a long list of health issues (Getty Stock)

The next on the list is sugar sweetened beverages, such as fizzy drinks and fruit juices.

According to the CDC website, sugar sweetened beverages are associated with weight gain, obesity, tooth decay, gout, and Type-2 diabetes.

If you were thinking, 'it's fine, I can swap it out for diet soda', there's some bad news as Healthline states that diet sodas have their own health implications associated with them, despite being sugar free.

Can't have anything nice, can we?

Salty snacks

Salty snacks can lead to obesity (Getty Images)

Buettner moves onto salty snacks next, saying that 'we know they are most associated with obesity'.

Healthline outlines how salt can temporarily increase your body weight by causing you to retain water.

They're also commonly known to contain large amounts of ultra-processed foods, all of which can contribute to weight gain.

Packaged sweets

Sweets can cause weight gain and tooth decay (Getty Images)

Finally, Buettner calls out the household favourite, packaged sweets, which he states is 'also highly associated with obesity'.

Of course, as you would expect, packaged sweets are ram packed full of sugar.

According to the NHS website, sugar can lead to weight gain and tooth decay. And just like any other sweet treat with large amounts of sugar, eating sweets in excess can contribute towards developing type 2 diabetes.

That doesn't mean you need to cut out sweets completely, either have them as the rare treat, and keep them out of your home as Dan Buettner suggests, or simply replace them with a sugar-free alternative.