Healthy Eating in Middle Age is Associated With Healthy Aging

A healthy diet high in plant-based foods, with a low-to-moderate intake of healthy animal-based foods and a lower intake of ultra-processed foods, has been linked to a higher likelihood of healthy aging – defined as reaching the age of 70 without severe chronic diseases and with preserved cognitive, physical, and mental health, according to a new study by researchers from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, the University of Copenhagen and the University of Montreal. The study is among the first to examine several mid-life dietary patterns in relation to overall healthy aging.

A Diet Rich in Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains, Nuts, Legumes and Healthy Fats Promotes Healthy Aging

“Previous studies have examined dietary patterns in the context of specific diseases or life expectancy. Our study looks at the issue from a variety of angles and addresses the question of how diet affects people’s ability to live independently and enjoy a good quality of life in old age,” said co-author Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and Chair of the Nutrition Department at the Harvard Chan School. The researchers used data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study to examine the dietary habits of more than 105,000 women and men aged 39 to 69 at midlife and the resulting health consequences over a period of 30 years. Participants regularly completed nutrition questionnaires, which were analyzed by the researchers to determine how well the participants adhered to eight healthy eating patterns: the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), the Alternative Mediterranean Index (aMED), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), the Healthy Plant-Based Diet (hPDI), the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), the Empirical Dietary Pattern for Inflammation (EDIP), and the Empirical Diet for Hyperinsulinemia (EDIH).

Each of these diets emphasizes high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts and legumes, and some also include low-to-moderate consumption of healthy animal-source foods such as fish and certain dairy products. Researchers also assessed the consumption of ultra-processed foods, which are industrially produced and often contain artificial ingredients, added sugars, sodium and unhealthy fats. The study found that 9,771 participants – 9.3% of the study population – aged healthily. Adherence to any of the healthy eating patterns was associated with overall healthy aging and its individual domains, including cognitive, physical and mental health. The leading healthy dietary pattern was AHEI, developed for chronic disease prevention. Participants in the highest quintile of AHEI score were 86% more likely to age healthily at 70 years and 2.2 times more likely to age healthily at 75 years compared to those in the lowest quintile of AHEI score. The AHEI diet reflects a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes and healthy fats, and low in red and processed meat, sugary drinks, sodium and refined grain products. Another leading healthy aging diet was the PHDI, which considers both human and environmental health by emphasizing plant-based foods and minimizing animal-based foods.

Further Studies Important

Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods, particularly processed meats and sugary and diet drinks, was associated with a lower likelihood of healthy aging. Because remaining active and independent is of great importance for both individual and public health, research on healthy aging is essential. These findings suggest that dietary patterns high in plant-based foods and moderate in healthy animal-source foods may promote overall healthy aging and help guide future dietary guidelines.

“Our results also show that there is no one-size-fits-all diet. A healthy diet can be customized to individual needs and preferences,” added lead author Anne-Julie Tessier, an assistant professor in the University of Montreal’s Department of Nutrition, a researcher at the Montreal Heart Institute and a visiting scientist at the Harvard Chan School. The study had some limitations, notably that the study population consisted entirely of health professionals. The researchers noted that repeating the study among populations of different socioeconomic status and backgrounds would provide further insight into the generalizability of the findings.