by New research presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Chicago found that a nutritious diet started in one’s forties can lead to healthy aging and independent living decades later.
“People who followed healthy dietary patterns in midlife – particularly those rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats – were significantly more likely to experience healthy ageing,” says study author Anne- Julie Tessier, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. “We were surprised by the strength of this association even after considering several other factors, such as physical activity, known to influence health.”
Dr Tessier and her colleagues analyzed data dating back to 1986 on more than 106,000 women. Subjects at the start of the review were at least 39 years old and free of any chronic diseases.
The researchers noted that the women who followed a healthy diet from their forties onward were 43 to 84 percent more likely to function well physically and mentally at age 70 than those who did not.
Healthy aging was defined as living to age 70 or older while maintaining good self-reported cognitive function, physical function, mental health, and the absence of chronic disease until the study was completed, in 2016. Only reached about 1 in 10 women (9.2 percent) this benchmark.
The metric for good mental health was reporting 1 or less depressive symptoms out of 15 — such as not feeling energetic or often bored — and one or less physical limitation, such as not being able to climb one flight of stairs or walking one block, was considered good physical function.
Every four years during the study, participants completed questionnaires that provided information about their eating habits. At the end of the study, in 2016, higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy were positively associated with a greater chance of healthy aging; and opposites were associated with higher intakes of trans fat, sodium, whole meat, and red and processed meat.
It’s Not Too Late to Get a Boost from Good Nutrition
“Dietary choices made in midlife have lasting effects on the health and well-being of older adults,” says Dr. Assar, who was not involved in the study. “A nutritious diet can help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cognitive decline, contributing to healthier ageing. Having a healthy diet can lead to improved energy levels, better physical function, and greater mental clarity in life.”
While this study focuses on positive health effects that have been found over the years, Assar emphasizes that it’s never too late to boost better nutrition.
“Although it is best to adopt healthy eating habits early, positive dietary changes at any age can provide significant health benefits,” she says.
These benefits include improvements in energy level, mood, increased longevity, increased quality of life, and reduced inflammation.
Assar says a healthier diet can even help older people reverse certain chronic conditions, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol, regardless of age when they reform their eating habits.
The Alternative Healthy Eating Index came out on top
Tessier and her team looked at eight different nutritional programs. The Alternative Healthy Eating Index, developed at Harvard, came out on top. Researchers found that this eating pattern had the strongest correlation with healthy aging. People who adhered to this diet were 84 percent more likely to achieve healthy aging than those least able to adhere to this eating pattern.
The researchers also found strong correlations with the following diets:
The researchers found the association between the planet health diet and healthy aging to be of particular interest.
“This diet, which minimizes animal products and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, has emerged as one of the key dietary patterns associated with healthy aging,” says Tessier. “This is really interesting because it suggests that we can eat a diet that benefits both human health and environmental sustainability.”
The researchers pointed out that they did not look at differences between how long people followed healthy diets and how well they aged. They also did not look at the likelihood of chronic disease or death in relation to adherence to a particular diet.
Given the study’s focus on dietary patterns in middle age, Tessier says future research could focus on the potential impacts of switching to a healthier dietary pattern even later in life.
