Your diet affects your health later in life, in addition to making you feel good today. According to a recent study, increasing your intake of whole grains, vegetables, and healthy fats may help you age healthily. Nature Medicine, a peer-reviewed monthly publication, published the study. For thirty years, researchers from Harvard university examined the diets of more than one lakh people.
The eight healthy dietary patterns—the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), the Alternative Mediterranean Index (aMED), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), the healthful plant-based diet (hPDI), the Planetary health Diet Index (PHDI), the empirically inflammatory dietary pattern (EDIP), the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH), and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) were rated by the researchers based on the participants' regular completion of dietary questionnaires.
All of these diets place a strong focus on eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, and legumes. Some of them also call for consuming little to no nutritious animal items like fish and some dairy products.
The consumption of ultra-processed foods, which are industrially produced and frequently contain artificial chemicals, added sugars, sodium, and harmful fats, was also evaluated by the researchers.
They discovered that people who adhered to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) had an 86% higher chance of living to 70 years of age without developing chronic illnesses and maintaining their physical and mental well-being.
What is this diet?
Harvard developed the AHEI diet, which emphasizes:
Vegetables and fruits
Whole grains include popcorn, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, bulgur (cracked wheat), and whole wheat flour.
Legumes and nuts
Olive oil, avocado, eggs, and salmon are good sources of healthy fats.
Additionally, it restricts harmful foods like processed and red meats, sugar-filled beverages, and too much salt.
While all eight of the healthy diets tested in the study had advantages, AHEI was the most successful in fostering long-term health.
There is no one-size-fits-all diet, according to university of Montreal professor Anne-Julie Tessier. It is possible to modify healthy diets to suit personal preferences and demands.
What does this matter?
Only roughly 9,700 of the 1,05,000 individuals satisfied the study's healthy aging requirements. According to the research, our diet has a significant impact on how well we age.
According to Harvard university professor Frank Hu, "Our study looks at how diet impacts people's ability to live independently and enjoy a good quality of life as they age."
Healthy eating has long been associated with a decreased risk of conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and dementia, according to experts. This study provides compelling evidence that a balanced diet can support people's continued independence and activity as they age, even though it does not establish cause and effect.
"Eating more plant-based foods, along with moderate amounts of healthy animal-based foods, may support healthy ageing," according to university of Copenhagen professor Marta Guasch-Ferre.
The eight healthy dietary patterns—the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), the Alternative Mediterranean Index (aMED), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), the healthful plant-based diet (hPDI), the Planetary health Diet Index (PHDI), the empirically inflammatory dietary pattern (EDIP), the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH), and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) were rated by the researchers based on the participants' regular completion of dietary questionnaires.
All of these diets place a strong focus on eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, and legumes. Some of them also call for consuming little to no nutritious animal items like fish and some dairy products.
The consumption of ultra-processed foods, which are industrially produced and frequently contain artificial chemicals, added sugars, sodium, and harmful fats, was also evaluated by the researchers.
They discovered that people who adhered to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) had an 86% higher chance of living to 70 years of age without developing chronic illnesses and maintaining their physical and mental well-being.
What is this diet?
Harvard developed the AHEI diet, which emphasizes:
Vegetables and fruits
Whole grains include popcorn, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, bulgur (cracked wheat), and whole wheat flour.
Legumes and nuts
Olive oil, avocado, eggs, and salmon are good sources of healthy fats.
Additionally, it restricts harmful foods like processed and red meats, sugar-filled beverages, and too much salt.
While all eight of the healthy diets tested in the study had advantages, AHEI was the most successful in fostering long-term health.
There is no one-size-fits-all diet, according to university of Montreal professor Anne-Julie Tessier. It is possible to modify healthy diets to suit personal preferences and demands.
What does this matter?
Only roughly 9,700 of the 1,05,000 individuals satisfied the study's healthy aging requirements. According to the research, our diet has a significant impact on how well we age.
According to Harvard university professor Frank Hu, "Our study looks at how diet impacts people's ability to live independently and enjoy a good quality of life as they age."
Healthy eating has long been associated with a decreased risk of conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and dementia, according to experts. This study provides compelling evidence that a balanced diet can support people's continued independence and activity as they age, even though it does not establish cause and effect.
"Eating more plant-based foods, along with moderate amounts of healthy animal-based foods, may support healthy ageing," according to university of Copenhagen professor Marta Guasch-Ferre.
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