“Traditionally, research and derived dietary guidelines have focused on preventing heart disease such as chronic disease,” Tessier said in an ASN news release. “Our study provides evidence for dietary recommendations that consider not only preventing disease, but also promoting overall healthy aging as a long-term goal.”
The study defined healthy aging as living to at least 70 years without chronic diseases and maintaining good cognitive function, mental health and physical functioning. 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, which looked at the eating habits and health outcomes of more than 106,000 men and women. The 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 eating patterns, including the DASH Diet, the Earth Healthy Diet and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, which most closely approximates the Dietary guidelines for Americans. While each diet has its differences, in general they all emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy products
The study found that by 2016, nearly half of the participants had died and only 9.2 percent had aged well. However, those who adhered most closely to healthy eating patterns had a 43 to 84 percent higher chance of aging. The association was strongest among those who adhered to the alternative healthy eating index. Participants with the highest intake of trans fats, sodium, and meat (especially red and processed meat) had the lowest odds of healthy aging. This was 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.