HOW A HEALTHY DIET IN MID-LIFE MAY HELP YOU REACH 70 WITHOUT CHRONIC DISEASE

WHAT you eat in your 40s, 50s and 60s may affect how healthy you are at age 70.

- TEDDY AMENABAR

WHAT you eat in your 40s, 50s and 60s may affect how healthy you are at age 70.

Adults who stick to diets rich in plant-based foods and eat fewer ultra-processed foods, in those middle decades of their lives, have a higher likelihood of reaching their 70th birthday free of major chronic disease, research has found.

The 30-year study, which followed the eating habits of more than 100,000 middle-aged adults, found that diets with comparatively higher amounts of plant-based foods – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts and beans – were associated with a higher likelihood of healthy ageing.

“This suggests what you eat in midlife can play a big role in how well you age,” said Anne-Julie Tessier, an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of montreal and the lead author of the observational study, which was published in Nature Medicine.

The team of researchers from the Harvard TH Chan school of Public Health, University of Copenhagen and University of montreal defined “healthy aging” as living to age 70 free of chronic disease such as diabetes and congestive heart failure, with positive marks on measures of cognitive, physical and mental health. In the study, 9 771 of the participants achieved healthy aging.

Most older adults have at least one chronic health condition. Previous studies have found diets that emphasise plants-based foods and less red or processed meat, can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. But, in this study, researchers set out to understand if these dietary guidelines could also enhance the quality of someone’s life in old age.

The facts