People who adopt a healthy diet starting in their forties are much more likely to be physically and mentally fit thirty years later.
- “People who adopted a healthy diet starting in their 40s were 43 to 84 percent more likely to function well physically and mentally at age 70 than those who did not,” one study found.
- Among the healthy diets under study: the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, the diet against hyperinsulinemia, the “planetary health diet”, the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet against hypertension…
- To age well: eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes and low-fat dairy products; avoid unsaturated fats, sodium, red and processed meats, sugars.
“We all want to ‘age well’, but research suggests that fewer than one in ten people can live disease-free and maintain good physical, cognitive and mental health into their 70s and beyond. However, following a balanced diet from your 40s onwards could increase your chances of healthy ageing.” This is the conclusion of a large study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held at the end of June in Chicago.
Healthy diet increases chances of being healthy at age 70
To reach this conclusion, researchers from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in the United States analyzed data from more than 100,000 people since 1986. The participants, who were at least 39 years old and free of chronic diseases at the start of the study, provided information about their diet through questionnaires every four years. By 2016, almost half of the study participants had died and only 9.2% lived to age 70 or older without chronic diseases and with good physical, cognitive and mental health.
The scientists were able to compare participants’ healthy aging rates based on their adherence to each of eight scientifically defined healthy diets – with the highest quintiles being those who strictly adhered to the diet. Other factors such as physical activity and cognitive function were also taken into account.
“People who adopted a healthy diet starting in their 40s were 43 to 84 percent more likely to function well physically and mentally at age 70 than those who did not.”we can read in a communicatedThe strongest correlation was seen with the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), a strict diet that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, plant proteins and unsaturated fats such as olive oil: the top quintile of participants who followed this type of diet were 84% more likely to age in good health than those in the bottom quintile.
Strong correlations were also found for the glycemic control diet to treat hyperinsulinemia (associated with a 78% higher likelihood of healthy aging), for the “planetary health diet“(68%), the Mediterranean diet (67%), the DASH diet for hypertension (66%), the Mediterranean diet for intervention in neurodegenerative delay (MIND, 59%), an anti-inflammatory diet (58%) or, more modestly, a plant-based diet (43%).
Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, oilseeds, legumes…
To summarize, high intakes of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy products were associated with greater odds of healthy aging, while higher intakes of trans fats, sodium, red and processed meats were associated with lower odds.
“While many previous studies have shown that healthy eating can help ward off chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, this new research is unique because it focuses on healthy aging, defined not only as the absence of disease, but also as the ability to live independently and maintain a good quality of life as one ages.”
“What you eat in your 40s can play a big role in how you age,” conclude the researchers, estimating that “promoting healthy ageing overall should be considered a long-term goal.”
