Nutritious diet in midlife linked to healthier aging
July 11, 2024—Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fats throughout midlife may increase an individual’s odds of aging healthfully, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Lead author Anne-Julie Tessier, research associate in the Department of Nutrition, presented the findings on July 2 at the American Society for Nutrition (ASN)’s annual meeting.
“Traditionally, research and derived dietary guidelines have focused on preventing chronic diseases like heart disease,” Tessier said in an ASN news release. “Our study provides evidence for dietary recommendations to consider not only disease prevention but also promoting overall healthy aging as a long-term goal.”
The study defined healthy aging as living to at least 70 years old, being free of chronic disease, and maintaining good cognitive function, mental health, and physical function. To examine the link between healthy aging and diet, the researchers used data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study on the eating habits and health outcomes of more than 106,000 men and women. Participants—who were at least 39 years old and had no chronic diseases at the start of the study—reported on their diets every four years from 1986 to 2010. The researchers assessed each participant’s adherence to eight healthy dietary patterns, including the DASH diet, the planetary health diet, and the alternative healthy eating index, which most closely hews to U.S. dietary guidelines. While each diet has its distinctions, in general they all emphasize high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy.
The study found that by 2016, nearly half of participants had died, and only 9.2% had aged healthfully. Those who adhered most closely to a healthy dietary pattern, however, had between a 43% and 84% greater chance of aging well. The association was strongest among those who adhered to the alternative healthy eating index. Participants with the highest intakes of trans fats, sodium, and meat—especially red and processed meats—had the lowest odds of aging healthfully. These associations remained strong even after the researchers controlled for other factors including participants’ health history, body mass index, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol use, socioeconomic status, and psychosocial health.
“We were surprised by the strength of the association between healthy eating patterns in midlife and a healthy later life, even after considering several other factors, like physical activity, that are also known to impact health,” Tessier said in a July 2 NBC News article about the study.
Read the ASN news release: What You Eat at Age 40 Could Influence Your Quality of Life at 70
Read the NBC News article: What you eat at 40 may affect how healthy you are at 70
Photo: iStock/Olga Peshkova
