The close relationship between nutrition in middle age and healthy aging is revealed by a Harvard study, presented at the annual conference of the American Nutrition Association “NUTRITION 2024” in Chicago.
The research was based on data on over 106,000 people over a 30-year period. Participants were at least 39 years old and free of chronic diseases at the start of the study and provided information regarding their diet via questionnaires every four years.
As the researchers found, people who ate a healthy diet from age 40 onwards were 43-84% more likely to have a healthy aging at age 70 compared to those who did not eat a healthy diet. Healthy aging is defined not only as the absence of disease, but also as the ability to live independently and enjoy a good quality of life as we age, so it includes physical health, cognitive function and mental health.
In terms of food, it was found that higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, low-fat and unsaturated-fat dairy products were associated with greater odds of healthy aging, while higher intakes of trans fat, sodium, red and processed meat was associated with lower odds of healthy aging.
Anne-Zilly Tessier, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health, who presented the research findings, notes that one finding that stood out was the association between healthy aging and the planetary diet, which emphasizes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins and healthy fats. This diet was associated with a 68% greater likelihood of healthy aging and the Mediterranean diet with a 67% greater likelihood of healthy aging compared to those who did not follow a healthy diet.
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