A 15-year-long study has conclusively revealed that your diet plays a significant role in the illnesses we face later in life, says James Witts.
Diets rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains and healthy fats slowed the accumulation of dementia and cardiovascular issues, while an inflammatory diet packed with red and processed meat, washed down with sugary drinks, accelerated it. After focusing on three healthy diets and one poor diet, the researchers now aim to create the perfect dietary advice for all of us to lead happier, healthier lives. We’d raise a glass of (non-alcoholic) wine to that…
Co-author Adrián Carballo-Casla and his team at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden followed 2,473 older adults for 15 years. The participants were split into three healthy groups based on their diet – MIND, which stands for Mediterranean Intervention for Neurogenerative Delay; AHEI, Alternative Healthy Eating Index; AMED, Alternative Mediterranean Diet – and one group who recorded highly on the EDII, Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index.
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The researchers found that those who stuck to the healthier trio of diets developed chronic illnesses more slowly. This was especially true for heart disease and dementia, though it didn’t affect conditions linked to muscles and bones. You won’t be shocked to hear that thepro-inflammatory group (EDII) faced a higher risk of chronic disease.
“Our results show how important diet is in influencing the development of chronic diseases in aging populations,” Carballo-Casla commented, stating that the next step in their research is to pin down the specific dietary advice that’ll deliver the greatest impact on longevity, plus the food groups that’ll benefit certain populations the most based on age, gender, psychosocial background and any chronic diseases they’re wrestling with.
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The diets the 2,473 older adults broadly adhered to delivered many physical and mental improvements or, if their diet meant they were in the pro-inflammatory group, the opposite…
MIND is shown to preserve mind function as you age, while protecting the cardiovascular system from disease. It combines elements of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, so foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, fish, poultry and olive oil.
AHEI is a scoring system developed by Harvard nutrition researchers. A high score, of which was registered by the subjects in the study, is a diet packed with vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, nuts, legumes and healthy fats (like those from olive oil or fish), while limiting red and processed meats, sugary drinks and sodium. Previous studies have found strong links between a high AHEI score and lower risk of cardiovascular diseases and neuropsychiatric diseases such as Parkinson’s.
AMED is a modified Mediterranean diet adapted to Western eating habits, but is still heavy on fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish and monosaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). It’s been shown to reduce the chances of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological diseases.
EDII estimates the inflammatory risk of diets. In this study, those who scored highly were grouped together. This is pro-inflammatory, bad for health, and includes foods like fried foods, high-fat dairy, red and processed meats, and processed snacks. A higher score is associated with higher incidence of total cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke, plus depression.
In short, as we’re sure many Countryfile readers are already in tune with, what you plop onto your plate today shapes your health tomorrow. Choosing more greens, grains, nuts and healthy fats could help guard your heart and mind as you age, while processed, sugary and fatty foods do the opposite. Eat smart, live well and your future self will thank you.
