Dietary Patterns for Promoting Healthy Aging

Dietary Patterns Associated With Healthy Aging

With aging, certain dietary patterns have been identified as more beneficial than others in promoting overall health. A recent study explored the impacts of various diets on aspects of health including cognitive, mental, and physical well-being ^[1].

You Are What You Eat

Diet represents a modifiable factor in the aging process, with substantial evidence indicating that a nutritious diet can prevent several chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases ^[2], type 2 diabetes ^[3], and premature mortality ^[4]. Moreover, diet plays a crucial role in mitigating age-related cognitive decline and maintaining physical performance ^[5]. Beyond disease prevention, a well-balanced diet significantly contributes to healthier aging and improved quality of life for older adults.

The objective of this research was to identify the most effective dietary approaches that encourage healthy aging. The researchers conducted a comparative analysis of eight different healthy dietary patterns based on their adherence and associations with aging metrics.

“Previous studies have focused on dietary patterns in relation to specific diseases or longevity. Our study, however, examines the broader question of how diet influences the ability to live independently and enjoy a high quality of life as individuals age.” – Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology

Eight Healthy Diets

The dietary patterns studied were:

• Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)
• Alternative Mediterranean Index (aMED)
• Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)
• Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND)
• Healthful Plant-Based Diet (hPDI)
• Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI)
• Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP)
• Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (EDIH)

These dietary patterns emphasize the consumption of healthful foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and advocate for minimizing red and processed meat intake. Nonetheless, there are notable distinctions among these diets. For instance:

For this study, data from 105,015 participants was utilized, comprising 70,091 women and 34,924 men from the Nurses’ Health Study (1986-2016) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2016). Researchers noted that the homogeneity of the study cohort, all of whom were health professionals, may limit the generalizability of their findings, necessitating further research in more diverse populations.

Healthy Diet, Healthy Aging

The findings from the study revealed that "higher adherence to all dietary patterns was associated with greater odds of healthy aging." However, there were discernible differences among the dietary patterns. The study indicated the following:

Notably, individuals in the highest 20% of AHEI adherence exhibited an 86% increase in the odds of achieving healthy aging compared to those in the lowest 20%. When using an age cutoff of 75 years, the odds were 2.24 times higher, irrespective of other lifestyle factors such as physical activity levels, smoking status, and body mass index (BMI).

Different Diets for Different Domains of Aging

This study also undertook an analysis of how varying dietary patterns influenced different domains of aging. The following were observed:

• The AHEI displayed the most robust association with maintaining physical function and mental health.
• The reversed EDIH showed strong correlations with freedom from chronic diseases.
• Cognitive health and longevity up to 70 years were closely associated with the PHDI.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Further analysis revealed that individual dietary components significantly impacted healthy aging results. An increase in the consumption of fruits, whole grains, vegetables, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy correlated with better aging outcomes. Conversely, diets high in ultraprocessed foods, trans fats, sodium, and red and processed meats were found to reduce the likelihood of healthy aging.

In conclusion, the researchers emphasized that dietary patterns rich in plant-based foods, combined with moderate inclusion of healthy animal-based foods, may foster healthy aging and inform future dietary guidelines. “The findings indicate a diverse range of dietary strategies can be tailored to individual preferences and health conditions,” said Marta Guasch-Ferré, co-corresponding author from Harvard Chan School.

Different People, Different Approaches

The research also featured an examination of various demographic groups, revealing that the impact of dietary patterns bore differing effects across sexes and health conditions. For both men and women, all dietary patterns correlated with healthy aging; however, the strength of the relationship was notably greater in women.

Additional significant interaction effects were observed between socioeconomic status and specific dietary patterns, particularly the reversed EDIH and EDIP, highlighting the need for further investigation into these interactions.

As the lead author Anne-Julie Tessier stated, “Our findings highlight the necessity of adopting personalized dietary interventions that correspond to individual health backgrounds and preferences, reinforcing the belief that there is no universally applicable diet for healthy aging.”

Literature Cited

[1] Tessier, A. J., et al. (2025). Optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging. Nature Medicine, 10.1038/s41591-025-03570-5. Advance online publication.

[2] Shan, Z., et al. (2020). Association Between Healthy Eating Patterns and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease. JAMA Internal Medicine, 180(8), 1090–1100.

[3] Forouhi, N. G., et al. (2018). Dietary and nutritional approaches for prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. BMJ, 361, k2234.

[4] English, L. K., et al. (2021). Evaluation of Dietary Patterns and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review. JAMA Network Open, 4(8), e2122277.

[5] Scarmeas, N., et al. (2018). Nutrition and prevention of cognitive impairment. The Lancet Neurology, 17(11), 1006–1015.

[6] Tessier, A. J., & Chevalier, S. (2018). An Update on Protein, Leucine, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Vitamin D in the Prevention and Treatment of Sarcopenia and Functional Decline. Nutrients, 10(8), 1099.