Scientists Find 10 Healthy Diets That Can Slow Ageing Naturally

Key Points:

• A study published in Nature Communications found that people following healthier dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean, DASH, Nordic, and various plant-based diets, tend to age more slowly at a molecular level, as measured by DNA methylation markers.
• Researchers analyzed data from 6,470 participants aged 30 to 95 in the Rhineland Study, comparing 10 different dietary scores that assess diet quality, plant-based eating, and inflammatory potential, finding consistent associations between healthier diets and slower biological ageing.
• Different diets influenced largely distinct DNA methylation sites, but over 70% of the affected biological pathways overlapped, involving key processes like cell structure, metabolism, neurogenesis, and heart and cognitive functions.
• The study highlights that eating plant-based is not inherently healthy or unhealthy; healthful plant-based diets were linked to slower ageing, while unhealthful plant-based diets and diets with higher inflammatory potential were associated with accelerated ageing.
• Overall, no single diet was identified as superior; instead, multiple healthy eating patterns focusing on nutrition can beneficially impact biological ageing and epigenetic markers.