What you eat truly impacts your health, and new research suggests the difference in lifespan between healthy and unhealthy diets is significant. Researchers examined five different dietary patterns to understand these connections.
A healthy diet can add years to your life, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. The study found that among 45-year-old men with the healthiest diets, those individuals lived an average of 1.9 to 3 years longer than those with the least healthy diets. For women, the difference was 1.5 to 2.3 years. A second study highlighted the importance of food quality when considering heart health.
Men benefited most from a dietary pattern designed to reduce diabetes risk (DRRD), which emphasizes fiber-rich foods and limits those that cause blood sugar spikes. This approach was particularly effective for current or former smokers.
Women experienced the greatest benefits from a dietary pattern called Amed, modeled after the Mediterranean diet. Amed, often used in research studies, is characterized by a high intake of fruits, vegetables, and unsaturated fats like those found in olive oil, with limited meat consumption.
In total, researchers investigated five dietary patterns, including a plant-based diet (hPDI) and a diet designed to lower blood pressure (DASH), as well as the Harvard Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). All of these approaches share common elements: a high proportion of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts, and avoidance of unhealthy components. Each pattern was associated with a lower risk of major chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Across all dietary factors, fiber intake was most strongly linked to reduced mortality, although sugar-sweetened beverages were associated with the highest risk. According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), good sources of fiber include whole grain products, fava beans, soybeans, chickpeas, nuts, seeds, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, rhubarb, porcini mushrooms, and pears.
The study suggests that the harmful effects of sugary drinks may be due to their ability to cause blood sugar fluctuations and increase insulin resistance, potentially leading to elevated blood sugar levels. This, in turn, can contribute to the development of chronic diseases and premature death, and also promote fat production in the liver.
“Our results underscore the benefits of healthy dietary patterns for extending lifespan—independent of genetic factors for longevity,” wrote the research team led by Yanling Lv of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan.
Several mechanisms may contribute to the positive effects of healthy dietary patterns. All of the patterns emphasize the consumption of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, which are rich in fiber and antioxidants. Antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, B2, and E, as well as carotenoids, selenium, and zinc, assist protect the body’s cells from oxidative damage.
The study utilized data from 103,649 participants in the UK Biobank, with a median follow-up period of 10.6 years, during which 4,314 deaths were documented. Participants were not instructed to eat specific foods, but rather reported their dietary intake over two or more days to the UK Biobank. The database contains a wealth of additional health data and is widely used for research.
Diet Quality Matters for Heart Health
The findings regarding the relationship between dietary patterns and mortality generally aligned with previous studies, such as those using data from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS).
Further research examined the impact of two different diets on heart health. A team published their findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, concluding that the health impacts of low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets depend primarily on the quality of the food, not the quantity.
A high-quality diet, according to the study, includes plenty of plant-based fats and proteins, as well as healthy carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, and legumes. Processed carbohydrates, as well as fats and proteins from animal sources, were found to be detrimental to heart health.
The research team assessed the impact on the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), a condition where plaque buildup narrows the heart’s arteries, potentially leading to chest pain (angina) or a heart attack. They analyzed dietary and health data from nearly 200,000 men and women across three large databases, documenting 20,033 cases of CHD.
“Our findings refute the notion that simply adjusting carbohydrate or fat intake is inherently beneficial and clearly demonstrate that the quality of foods in both low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets is crucial for protecting heart health,” said lead author Zhiyuan Wu of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
Simone Humml, dpa/lk
