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Sept. 5, 2024—A recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open found that what we eat may influence our biological age—making us feel younger or older than our actual years. The key takeaway: A diet rich in high-quality nutrients and low in added sugars might just help slow down the aging process.

Dig deeper

The researchers hoped to discover how diet might be linked to faster or slower aging. They looked at diet records from 342 women to see whether they included antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods. They also looked at how much added sugar the women consumed.

To measure how fast participants aged, the researchers used saliva samples to check for epigenetic aging (changes in cells that are linked to physical aging, regardless of a person’s actual age). Then they looked for links between those findings and the participants’ diets.

The women who followed an anti-inflammatory eating pattern with plenty of antioxidants had markers of slower epigenetic aging. The healthier the diet, the slower the aging.

At the same time, every gram of added sugar was linked with an increase in aging markers. That indicates accelerated aging, according to the researchers.

Put aging well on the menu

No diet offers the fountain of youth. But, according to the National Institute on Aging and other experts, some ways of eating have been shown to help you stay healthy and feel your best through the decades. They’re all a little different, but they have some big things in common—like eating less sugar and more vegetables.

Here are three research-backed eating plans to consider:

1. Mediterranean-style diet. This diet emphasizes plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. It also includes healthy fats, like olive oil, and lean proteins, such as fish. A Mediterranean-style diet is rich in foods that help reduce your risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. It’s associated with slower aging.

2. DASH diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension). The DASH diet is a low-sodium plan. It encourages eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It’s also been associated with slower aging. This diet is particularly effective in managing blood pressure.

3. MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay). The MIND diet is a mash-up of the Mediterranean and DASH diets. Its goal is boosting brain health. It encourages the consumption of berries, leafy greens and nuts, while limiting red meat and butter. Studies show that the MIND diet can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and promote cognitive health.

Tips for adopting a healthy diet

Whatever eating pattern you like best, choosing a healthy eating pattern can help you feel healthier. Get started with this advice from the National Council on Aging:

• Choose more fruits and vegetables. When you’re serving yourself a meal, pile half the plate with produce.
• Read labels. This can help you make the best choices at the grocery store.
• Reduce added sugars. High sugar intake is linked to accelerated aging. When you can, limit saturated fat and sodium too.
• Stay hydrated. Older adults are at higher risk for dehydration. Drink water throughout the day.

Looking for more ways to feel your best at any age? Check out these seven keys to living better longer.

Sources

• American Heart Association. "Why Sugar Matters—and How to Cut Back If You're Eating Too Much of It." https://www.heart.org/en/news/2023/10/30/why-sugar-matters-and-how-to-cut-back-if-you-are-eating-too-much-of-it.
• American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Healthy Eating Patterns and Epigenetic Measures of Biological Age." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8754996.
• JAMA Network Open. "Essential Nutrients, Added Sugar Intake, and Epigenetic Age in Midlife Black and White Women.” https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821611.
• National Council on Aging. “6 Ways to Eat Well as You Get Older.”
https://www.ncoa.org/article/6-ways-to-eat-well-as-you-get-older/.
• National Institute on Aging. "MIND and Mediterranean Diets Linked to Fewer Signs of Alzheimer’s Brain Pathology." https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/mind-and-mediterranean-diets-linked-fewer-signs-alzheimers-brain-pathology.