Following a healthy diet – Mainly based on plants, with a minimum of ultra -transit foods and low to moderate quantities of animal foods such as fish and dairy products – can increase the chances of reaching the age of 70 without developing a chronic disease, according to a new study.
Research, Published Monday In the journal Nature Medicine, analyzed the diet of more than 105,000 people in their forties and found that at 70 years old, less than 10% had reached “healthy aging”, which means that their memories were intact, they had not developed a depression or a major chronic condition, and they could carry out basic physical tasks such as the climbing of stars.
Maidant in good health, has shown that the analysis has increased the probability of participants to reach this step. This was true for eight specific regimes evaluated, including the Mediterranean regime and the therapeutic patterns strictly based on plants, as well as diets designed to reduce inflammation or blood pressure.
“What most of these diets had in common is that they were rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes then weak in processed meat, sugars and trans fats,” said a study author, Marta Guasch-Ferré, associate professor of Nutrition at Harta Th Chan School of Public Health.
Previous studies have also revealed that diets rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with lower and lower blood pressure and blood pressure a reduced risk of heart disease or cancer. But most of this research did not evaluate the global effect on the quality of life of people as they age, said Guasch-Ferré.
“It’s not just about living any longer, but also to maintain good health in the last stages of life,” she said.
The link between a healthy diet and a lower risk of illness is a major subject of discussion for the Secretary of Health and Social Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has repeatedly blamed food additives and transformed food consumption for Chronic levels up to the United States.
The new study assessed participants aged 39 to 69 over 30 years from 1986 to 2016. The group was selected from two databases of health professionals, it can therefore register more concerned with health than average. In addition to assessing the mental and physical form of people at 70, researchers were detected for 11 chronic conditions, including cancer, diabetes, strokes, plaques sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.
In particular, the alternative index of healthy food – a diet designed to reduce chronic diseases – had the strongest association with healthy aging. The index grants high scores to people who consume small amounts of fish, at least five daily portions of vegetables and at least four daily portions of whole fruit while cutting red meat, sugary drinks and fruit juice.
Participants who obtained the highest in the alternative health index of healthy food had a probability of 86% greater health in good health, according to the study, compared to the participants with the lowest scores.
American food directives do not fully adhere to the index, recommending rather at least three portions of vegetables and at least two portions of fruit per day, as well as lean meat proteins, poultry, fish, eggs, beans or nuts.
The eight study regimes favored fruits, vegetables and whole grains on red and transformed meats. But there are slight differences: for example, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes healthy fats such as olive oil, fish and nuts, while food approaches to stop the diet of hypertension grant priority to low sodium content. Diet Mind, a combination of these two, encourages people to eat berries to promote brain health.
While previous research has found Many health benefits associated with vegetarian or vegan dietsGuasch-Ferré said that study results suggest that average age I don’t need to be fully vegetarian to avoid the disease.
“We can reduce our consumption of animal food, but some quantities can be healthy,” she said.
The study does not explain if a healthy diet in the forties can reverse the negative effects of poor diet in childhood or the young adult – a question that researchers hopes to answer.
“Regarding many lifestyle factors, our mantra is generally that it is never too early and it is never too late,” said Stephen Kritchevsky, professor of gerontology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study.
Food is not the only factor that affects aging, he added-physical activity, stress and genetics of a person can also play a role.
“If people want to age in good health, the four main things in my mind are: maintain a healthy weight, exercise, eat well … and not smoke,” said Kritchevsky.