The study was conducted for 30 years on more than 100,000 participants.
Life expectancy is getting longer but how to age in good health? From the age of 65, physical and cognitive capacities drop, and chronic diseases may appear. If smoking cessation, the decrease in alcohol consumption and the practice of regular physical activity are integrated in the majority, we must not forget the essential role of food. Research has already proven that a good quality diet is beneficial for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and premature mortality. An American study conducted over 30 years shows food to favor aging up to 70 years in good health.
Data from more than 100,000 participants, men and women, aged 39 to 69, were analyzed from questionnaires. “We have examined the association between long-term membership with eight diets and the consumption of ultra-transformed foods and healthy aging” explained the researchers in the journal “Nature Medicine”. The body mass index (BMI), smoking and physical activity have been taken into account. Healthy aging has been defined as reaching the age of 70, without major chronic disease and with good cognitive, physical and mental health.
After 30 years, 9% of participants aged in good health, 38% reached the age of 70. Among all the regimes studied (Mind, Dash, Mediterranean …), “AHEI has shown more likely to age in good health”. This diet which means “alternative healthy eating index” in English is “rich in vegetable foods, with a moderate inclusion of foods of animal origin” Define the authors and it particularly targets the risk of chronic diseases. Participants who followed the AHEI diet most had 86 % more likely to age healthy at 70 years old and 2.2 times more likely to age in good health at 75 years old.
Concretely, “Higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole cereals, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes and low -fat dairy products were linked to greater opportunities to age in good health, while higher consumption of trans fats, sodium, sugary drinks and red or transformed meats (or both) were inversely associated” said the authors. According to them, these findings must serve as daily benchmarks in the food recommendations.