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Healthful Eating in Midlife Linked to Overall Healthy Aging

Maintaining a healthful diet rich in plant-based foods, with low to moderate intake of healthful animal-based foods and lower intake of ultraprocessed foods, was linked to a higher likelihood of healthy aging—defined as reaching age 70 free of major chronic diseases and with cognitive, physical, and mental health maintained, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, and University of Montreal. The study is among the first to examine multiple dietary patterns in midlife in relation to overall healthy aging.

"Studies have previously investigated dietary patterns in the context of specific diseases or how long people live. Ours takes a multifaceted view, asking, how does diet impact people's ability to live independently and enjoy a good quality of life as they age?" says cocorresponding author Frank Hu, MD, MPH, PhD, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and chair of the department of nutrition at Harvard Chan School.

The researchers used data from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study to examine the midlife diets and eventual health outcomes of more than 105,000 women and men aged 39 to 69 over the course of 30 years. Participants regularly completed dietary questionnaires, which the researchers scored on how well participants adhered to eight healthful dietary patterns: the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), the Alternative Mediterranean Index, the DASH diet, the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, the healthful plant-based diet, the Planetary Health Diet Index, the empirically inflammatory dietary pattern, and the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia. Each of these diets emphasizes high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, and legumes, and some also include low to moderate intake of healthful animal-based foods such as fish and certain dairy products. The researchers also assessed participants' intake of ultraprocessed foods, which are industrially manufactured, often containing artificial ingredients, added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats.

The study found that 9,771 participants—9.3% of the study population—aged healthfully. Adhering to any one of the healthy dietary patterns was linked to overall healthy aging and its individual domains, including cognitive, physical, and mental health.

The leading healthful diet was the AHEI, which was developed to prevent chronic diseases. Participants in the highest quintile of the AHEI score had an 86% greater likelihood of healthy aging at 70 years, and a 2.2-fold higher likelihood of healthy aging at 75 years compared with those in the lowest quintile of the AHEI score. The AHEI diet reflects a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthful fats and low in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, sodium, and refined grains. Another leading diet for healthy aging was the Planetary Health Diet Index, which considers both human and environmental health by emphasizing plant-based foods and minimizing animal-based foods.

Higher intake of ultraprocessed foods, especially processed meat and sugary and diet beverages, was associated with lower chances of healthy aging.

"Since staying active and independent is a priority for both individuals and public health, research on healthy aging is essential," says cocorresponding author Marta Guasch-Ferré, PhD, an associate professor in the department of public health at the University of Copenhagen and adjunct associate professor of nutrition at Harvard Chan School. "Our findings suggest that dietary patterns rich in plant-based foods, with moderate inclusion of healthy animal-based foods, may promote overall healthy aging and help shape future dietary guidelines."

"Our findings also show that there is no one-size-fits-all diet. Healthful diets can be adapted to fit individual needs and preferences," adds lead author Anne-Julie Tessier, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition at the University of Montreal, researcher at the Montreal Heart Institute, and visiting scientist at Harvard Chan School.

Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health