A landmark 30-year study has revealed that following plant-based, nutrient-dense diets significantly enhances healthy ageing.
Researchers examined data from over 105,000 individuals to assess the relationship between dietary patterns and healthy ageing outcomes.
The findings, published in Nature Medicine, showed that adherence to healthier dietary patterns increased the likelihood of healthy ageing by 45 per cent to 86 per cent.
The study defined healthy ageing as reaching 70 without major chronic diseases whilst maintaining good cognitive, physical and mental health.
Regular intake of olive oil and avocados may boost physical function
GETTYOnly 9.3 per cent of participants achieved this healthy ageing benchmark over the three-decade study period.
Researchers found that poor dietary choices can be as harmful as smoking, effectively making food choices a major preventable accelerator of ageing.
Participants who regularly consumed olive oil and avocados demonstrated 40 per cent better physical function, outperforming even those who exercised regularly but consumed fewer unsaturated fats.
The research identified that ultra-processed food consumption was associated with 32 per cent lower odds of healthy ageing.
Greater intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes and unsaturated fats was consistently linked to better ageing outcomes.
Conversely, processed meats, trans fats and sodium were associated with worse outcomes.
Interestingly, fast food and snacks were linked to better odds of surviving to age 70, possibly due to social aspects of eating out, though they weren't associated with better health overall.
The strongest associations with healthy ageing were found in the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), followed by other dietary patterns.
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Different dietary patterns showed varying benefits
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The study examined eight dietary patterns including AHEI, DASH, Mediterranean Diet, MIND, PHDI, hPDI, rEDIH and rEDIP.
Different dietary patterns showed varying benefits: PHDI had the greatest impact on cognitive health, whilst AHEI most benefited physical function and mental health. The rEDIH pattern was most effective for chronic disease prevention.
Benefits were strongest among women, smokers, individuals with lower socioeconomic status, and those with less physical activity.
Women benefited more than men from healthy diets, particularly when following the AHEI, MIND, and PHDI patterns.
A key limitation of the research was the lack of diversity, as most participants were white health professionals.
Nonetheless, the findings reinforce the importance of diet as a crucial factor in healthy ageing.
