Study Uncovers Diet Patterns Linked to Longer, Healthier Lives - Video

A 30-year study has found that plant-rich diets with low intake of ultra-processed foods significantly increase the odds of healthy aging. The study links midlife dietary patterns to a greater likelihood of aging well—defined as living beyond 70 without major chronic diseases, while maintaining cognitive, physical, and mental health. The findings will be published in Nature Medicine.

Drawing from data in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, researchers followed more than 105,000 men and women aged 39–69 for three decades. Participants regularly completed dietary questionnaires, which were evaluated using eight well-established dietary indices, including the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Alternative Mediterranean Index (aMED), and Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI). Each of these patterns emphasizes high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats, with low to moderate amounts of healthy animal-based foods such as fish and dairy.

The study found that 9.3% of participants, or 9,771 individuals, aged healthfully. Among all dietary patterns, the AHEI showed the strongest association with healthy aging. Those in the highest quintile of AHEI adherence had an 86% higher likelihood of healthy aging at age 70, and a more than twofold increase in likelihood at age 75, compared to those in the lowest quintile. The PHDI also ranked high, highlighting the dual benefit of diets that are good for both people and the planet.

Conversely, higher consumption of ultra-processed foods—especially processed meats and sugar-laden or artificially sweetened beverages—was linked to lower odds of aging healthfully. Researchers emphasized future research across more diverse populations is needed to validate and expand upon these findings.

“Our findings also show that there is no one-size-fits-all diet. Healthy diets can be adapted to fit individual needs and preferences,” added lead author Anne-Julie Tessier, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Montreal, researcher at the Montreal Heart Institute, and visiting scientist at Harvard Chan School.

Reference: “Optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging” by Anne-Julie Tessier, Fenglei Wang, Andres Ardisson Korat, A. Heather Eliassen, Jorge Chavarro, Francine Grodstein, Jun Li, Liming Liang, Walter C. Willett, Qi Sun, Meir J. Stampfer, Frank B. Hu and Marta Guasch-Ferré, 24 March 2025, Nature Medicine.

DOI: 10.1038/s41591-025-03570-5