(NewsNation)— A 30-year study has concluded that limiting ultra-processed food and at least moderate amounts of meat increased the capacity to reach age 70 without chronic disease.
Published on Mar. 24 in Nature Medicine, researchers analyzed the midlife diet of more than 105,000 people and again by 70 and 75 to assess if they had succeeded in “healthy aging.”
Only 9.3% of the individuals achieved this, meaning they did not suffer from a chronic condition, retained their memories and could perform basic tasks, such as climbing stairs, without issue.
Those who followed the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) had an 86% greater likelihood of being healthy at 70 and double the chance of being disease-free by 75.
According to Harvard Health, the AHEI provides a rating for diets between 0-110, 0 being nonadherence and 110 being perfect. It is an alternative to the Healthy Eating Index, with a more specific focus on reduction in chronic disease likelihood.
“Our findings suggest that dietary patterns rich in plant-based foods, with moderate inclusion of healthy animal-based foods, may promote overall healthy aging and help shape future dietary guidelines,” co-author Marta Guasch-Ferré said in a release.
It is noted the study’s main limitation is the population analyzed included strictly health professionals.