Experts from the American Dietetic Association have found that eating a healthy diet at age 40 helps maintain good health at age 70.
The American Society for Nutrition website indicates that 106,000 people participated in this study, which lasted from 1986 to 2016. All participants were over 239 years old at the beginning and did not suffer from chronic diseases. All participants had to fill out questionnaires every four years about their diet and health status.
By 2016, 9.2 percent of them were in their 70s and were in good health, with good physical fitness and good cognitive and mental abilities. After studying their lifestyle and eating habits in detail, the researchers discovered that following a variety of diets ensures good health in old age.
For example, eating according to the AHEI (Alternative Healthy Eating Index) diet has been linked to the highest levels of well-being. This diet was created by leading nutrition experts in the United States. It includes high intakes of whole vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts, and limited intakes of sweetened beverages, red meat, trans fats, polyunsaturated fats, sodium, and alcohol.
According to the researchers, people with a high alternative healthy eating index were 84 percent more likely to age healthily than those who did not follow such recommendations. And those with a high experimental dietary index of hyperinsulinemia (EDIH), which aims to prevent metabolic diseases such as diabetes, were 78 percent more likely to age healthily.
Researchers point out that other effective ways to stay healthy are to follow the Mediterranean diet, eat a healthy plant-based diet, and reduce your intake of animal protein.
Fair point!
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