Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes and low-fat dairy products improve the chances of aging well, a new study finds.
“People who have healthy eating habits in midlife, particularly those rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, are significantly more likely to age healthily,” said Anne-Julie Tessier, a postdoctoral fellow in the T. H. Chan Department of Public Health at Harvard University.
Trans fats, sodium and meat, especially red and processed meats, should be avoided, according to the study’s researchers.
Each of the healthy eating habits are linked to healthy aging, as are physical health, cognitive functioning and mental health, the doctoral student emphasizes.
The study highlights eight diets that would give you the best chance of aging healthily:
• American Food Guide : vegetables, fruits, grains, fortified dairy and soy substitutes, and protein foods. (84% chance of healthy aging)
• Hyperinsulinemic diet : avoid eating excessive amounts of carbohydrates and eat less unhealthy fats, sugar, red meats and processed starches. (78%)
• Planetary Health Diet : half a plate of fruits and vegetables; and the other half, whole grains, vegetable proteins, unsaturated vegetable oils and animal proteins. (68%)
• Alternative Mediterranean Diet : fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. (67%)
• Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) : limit the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet. (66%)
• Mediterranean Intervention-DASH for Neurodegenerative Disease Delay (MIND) Diet : leafy vegetables, nuts, berries, legumes, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil and wine. (59%)
• Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern : tomatoes, berries, citrus fruits, oily fish, olives and olive oil and dark green leafy vegetables. (58%)
• Healthy Plant-Based Diet : fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes. (43%)
Participants were at least 39 years old and free of chronic diseases at the start of the study. They provided information about their diet from questionnaires every four years.
The study was presented by the doctoral student at the Nutrition 2024 conference held Tuesday in Chicago, and was conducted on 106,000 people from 1986 to today.
