A new study found that following healthy diets, animal-based foods such as fish and dairy products may increase the chances of reaching age 70 without developing chronic disease, primarily plant-based and minimal plant-based foods.
the study, Released on Monday Nature Medicine magazine analyzed the diet of over 105,000 people in middle age and found that “healthy aging” was achieved in under 70%. This means that the memory was intact, and he had no depression or major chronic conditions, and was able to perform basic physical tasks such as climbing steer and carrying food.
Healthy eating, analysis showed increased chances of participants reaching milestones. This applies to eight specific diets evaluated, including the Mediterranean diet, strictly plant-based regimens, and diets designed to lower inflammation and blood pressure.
“What most of these diets had in common was their richness in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts and legumes, and low in processed meat, sugar and trans fats,” said Marta Guash Ferre, the author of the study, associate professor of nutritional supplements at Harvard University’s School of Public Health.
Previous studies have similarly found that diets rich in fruit and vegetables are associated with lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as lower risk of heart disease and cancer. However, most of the studies did not assess the overall impact of age on people’s quality of life, Guash Ferre said.
“It’s not only about living long, it’s about staying healthy at the later stages of life,” she said.
The relationship between healthy diet and the risk of low illness is a major topic for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeatedly criticised food additives and processed food consumption for an increase in chronic diseases in the United States.
The new study evaluated participants aged 39-69 for 30 years from 1986 to 2016. This group was selected from two databases of health professionals, and could be more skewed than average. In addition to assessing people’s mental and physical fitness at age 70, researchers screened 11 chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.
In particular, alternative healthy diet indexes (diets designed to reduce chronic disease) were the strongest associations with healthy aging. The index awards a high score to those who consume small amounts of fish, at least five servings of vegetables, and at least four servings of fruit per day.
Participants who scored the highest scores on the alternative healthy diet index found an 86% higher chance of healthy aging than participants with the lowest score.
US dietary guidelines do not adhere completely to the index and recommend serving at least three vegetables and at least two fruit instead.
All eight diets in this study promoted fruits, vegetables and whole grains over red and processed meat. However, there are slight differences. For example, Mediterranean diets emphasize healthy fats such as olive oil, fish and nuts, but dietary approaches to stop a high blood pressure diet prioritize low-sodium foods. The Mind Diet, a combination of these two, encourages people to eat berries to promote brain health.
While previous studies have found numerous health benefits associated with vegetarian and vegan diets, Guash Ferre said the findings suggest that middle-aged people do not need to be completely vegetarians to eat away from the illness.
“We can reduce our intake of animal foods, but some of the amounts may still be healthy,” she said.
This study does not address whether healthy eating in middle-aged years can reverse the negative effects of poor diet in childhood or young adults. Question researchers want to answer.
“In regards to many lifestyle factors, our mantras are usually not too early or too late,” said Stephen Kritchevsky, a professor of gerontology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study.
He is not the only factor that affects aging. Physical activity, stress, and human genetics can also play a role.
“If people want to age healthy, the top four things in my mind are to maintain a healthy weight, exercise, eat well… don’t smoke,” Kritchevsky said.
