Boost Your Lifespan by 10 Years! 💪

^{VITAMIN C ® is a newsletter exploring topics in food innovation, climate and everything in between. If you missed the last newsletters, check them out here.}

Read time today: 2 minutes 39 seconds

Hi friend 👋,

I'm back from my vacation in Italy, fully recharged and ready to hit the ground running.

Wandering through those stunning landscapes gave me some time to reflect on the future of our planet. Spoiler alert: There's a lot of work to be done, but also plenty of opportunities. 🌟

Also, survey results from last time were pretty clear. Out of the 153 of you who participated, 80% prefer the new email format.

So here we go: This week, again I scrolled the internet so you don’t have to.

Here are my top 5 findings to help you stay ahead in food & climate innovation:

1. [Study] 💪 Can sustainable diets actually make you live longer?

I came across this study from 2022 by a team of Norwegian scientists who developed a model that calculates the health impact of a planet-friendly diet.

The results? Make me happy.

A sustainable diet—reducing meat intake and increasing legumes—combined with regular exercise could extend your life expectancy by up to 10 years.

Boom, up to 10 healthy years!

That’s a whole decade. Imagine what you could do with that—start a new business, finally run that marathon, or just have more time to annoy your kids.

Check out the Food for Healthy Life calculator here.

2. [Startup Spotlight] 🚀 Meet the underdog taking on Big Food with CO2

Remember that time you thought CO2 was just a climate villain? Well, Vienna-based startup Arkeon is flipping the script. They’re producing all essential amino acids—the building blocks of protein—with just three inputs: microorganisms, hydrogen, and, you guessed it, CO2.

Arkeon isn’t the first to use fermentation for alternative proteins, but producing all amino acids in a single fermentation? That’s next-level. And here’s the kicker—their process actually eats CO2. So while they’re helping us cut down on greenhouse gases, they’re also pushing alt-protein into new territory with bioavailability comparable to meat.

Are we on the brink of eating meat made from CO2?

Check out the following video to understand how the technology works:

3. [Startup Map] 🌍 The European Food Tech scene is heating up

Europe is on fire (in a good way) when it comes to food innovation.

Check out this killer map that highlights the most promising food tech startups across Europe. From sustainable farming to next-gen food alternatives, these startups are not just tinkering around—they’re reshaping food for real.

Dive into the full map here and see who's leading the charge.

4. [Personal] ☕️ I love this Neapolitan coffee tradition

Recently, I was in Naples—a city that’s as chaotic as it is charming. But what really stuck with me wasn’t just the vibe and the extra weight from all that pizza, but a beautiful tradition called “Caffè Sospeso” or the “suspended coffee.”

Here’s what that means: When you grab an espresso at a local coffee bar, you have the option to pay for an extra coffee. That extra one isn’t for you, though—it’s for someone who can’t afford it. Later, when someone in need comes into the coffee bar, and asks for a “Caffè Sospeso,” they get a freshly brewed coffee, no questions asked.

It’s a small gesture that doesn’t change the world, but it does offer a moment of warmth and dignity. A little act of kindness that adds up.

Even though we went to many coffee bars, this is the only picture I took: My husband munching on a cornetto (Italian croissant) and paying for a “Caffè Sospeso”.

 5. [Fun] 😂 Kids' hilarious take on life at 40

Ever wondered what kids think life is like at 40? Well, according to them, it's all about wrinkles, walking sticks, and... preparing for the end! 😂

But don't worry - thanks to nutrition science and following a healthy diet, we can still feel like we’re 21 even when we hit the big 40. 🥝🧬 

If you don’t believe me, check out the study I shared above.

Have a great day,
Lia

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