What you eat earlier in life has an impact on how well you age. That’s the conclusion from a study in England known as Whitehall II. It began in the late 1980s with more than 5,000 civil servants between the ages of 45 and 55. They were examined carefully and questioned about all aspects of their lives, especially including their diets. Health information about them was collected for at least the next 16 years, and they were evaluated at the end of that time to see how successfully they were aging.
Those who were considered to be aging well had survived to past age 60 with no chronic physical or mental diseases and with good cognitive, muscular, respiratory and cardiometabolic function. Those who stuck most closely to an Alternative Healthy Eating Index with a diet focused on vegetables, fruit and fish were least likely to die and more likely to be aging successfully. Those who indulged most often in fried food, meat pies, sweetened desserts, chocolates, cheeses and refined grains were, on the other hand, less likely to age well. The dietary findings were not enough to counteract the negative effects of smoking or the benefits of physical activity, however. The researchers note that the diet identified as least helpful is very similar to a typical American diet associated with a high risk of inflammation.
[American Journal of Medicine, May, 2013]
