Monday, April 28, 2025

How Your Midlife Eating Habits Can Help You Live Longer and Healthier

A plant-rich diet with some fish and dairy might make the biggest difference, new research suggests

By Alex Janin of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"If you reach 70 years old healthy and disease-free, you might have your diet to thank, new research suggests."

"A diet emphasizing vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and some animal products such as fish and dairy over the long term was the most likely to make a difference in aging in good health."

"Sticking to a balanced diet with a moderate amount of healthy animal protein, in fact, outperformed following a more plant-based diet, in terms of healthy aging. The researchers also found that eating more ultraprocessed foods was linked to worse physical and cognitive health in older age."

"The study, published in Nature Medicine and led by researchers at Harvard University, the University of Copenhagen and the University of Montreal"

"The dietary habits most closely linked to healthy aging . . . likely work by reducing inflammation, improving metabolism and supporting gut health." 

"People who scored high in adhering to the so-called Alternative Healthy Eating Index, a plant-rich diet plus proteins such as dairy and fish, had an 86% higher chance of healthy aging than those whose diets scored lowest for that diet."

"Diets high in trans fats, salt, sugary drinks, and red or processed meats—such as steak, ham and sausages—were linked to worse healthy-aging results."

"sticking to similarly healthy diets was linked to a lower risk of premature death." 

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