Higher long-term adherence to healthy dietary patterns is associated with an increased likelihood of healthy aging, according to a study presented at NUTRITION 2024, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, held from June 29 to July 2 in Chicago.

Anne-Julie Tessier, R.D., Ph.D., from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and her colleagues examined adherence to eight dietary patterns every four years using a validated food frequency questionnaire. They aimed to assess the association of long-term adherence with healthy aging, defined as surviving to age 70 or older while maintaining good self-reported cognitive function, physical function, and mental health, and remaining free of chronic diseases.

Over 30 years of follow-up, 9,837 participants (9.2 percent) achieved healthy aging. The researchers found significant associations between higher adherence to all dietary patterns and greater odds of healthy aging. Comparing the highest with the lowest adherence levels yielded odds ratios ranging from 1.43 to 1.85, with the weakest association seen for a healthful plant-based diet and the strongest for alternative healthy eating patterns.

Higher adherence to all dietary patterns was also associated with better components of healthy aging. Increased intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy were linked to greater odds of healthy aging. Conversely, higher intakes of trans fats, sodium, total meats, and red and processed meats were inversely associated with healthy aging.

"Our study provides evidence for dietary recommendations to consider not only disease prevention but also promoting overall healthy aging as a long-term goal," Tessier said in a statement.