Every five minutes, science figures out something that changes everything. Like the time they decided eggs were bad for you… and then changed their minds. And the time they decided sugar-free/low-fat would keep you healthy… and then they changed their minds about that. And the time they decided drinking coffee/wine/kombucha would extend your lifespan… until they decided it wouldn’t. Or might not, anyway.

Despite the fact that they keep turning the tables on us, we still keep looking for the fountain of youth. Is it acai berries? Is it rainbow chard? Is it kimchi? (Editor’s note: Please be kimchi.) The New York Times mapped a few of these twists, turns, controversies and contradictions into an interesting infographic.

The diagram makes one realize how quickly things change (the map is only from 2011-2014). It’s worth noting that a lot of the studies are done on worms, fruit flies and yeast — not humans. The jump to conclusions consistently seems to go like this: “Oh, an ingredient in red wine made that worm live longer? RED WINE IS GOING TO MAKE ME LIVE FOREVER.”

The biggest thing we can learn from this diagram, and these studies is that humans are not mice… and that we still have a lot to learn. See the full graphic here.

How do you plan on living longer? Death Becomes Her potion? Let us know in the comments!

Annie D'Souza
Annie is the founding father and editor-in-chief of The Midwestival and a long-time jean-on-jean enthusiast.