NBC NEWS – Following a healthy diet — one primarily plant-based, with minimal ultra-processed food and low to moderate amounts of animal-based foods like fish and dairy — can raise the chances of reaching age 70 without developing a chronic disease, according to a new study.
The research, published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, analyzed the diets of more than 105,000 people in midlife.
The study found that by 70, less than 10% had achieved “healthy aging,” meaning their memories were intact, they hadn’t developed depression or a major chronic condition, and they could perform basic physical tasks like climbing stairs or carrying groceries.
Eating healthy, the analysis showed, increased participants’ likelihood of reaching that milestone. That held true for eight specific diets evaluated, including the Mediterranean diet and strictly plant-based regimens, as well as diets designed to lower inflammation or blood pressure.
“What most of these diets had in common was that they were rich in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fat, nuts, legumes and then low in processed meat, sugars and trans fat,” said an author of the study, Marta Guasch-Ferré, an adjunct associate professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Previous studies have similarly found that diets rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with lower cholesterol and blood pressure and a decreased risk of heart disease or cancer.
But most of that research hasn’t evaluated the overall effect on people’s quality of life as they age, Guasch-Ferré said.
“It’s not just about living longer but also maintaining good health in the later stages of life,” she said.
The link between a healthy diet and lower disease risk is a major talking point for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has repeatedly blamed food additives and processed food consumption for rising rates of chronic disease in the United States …
