Share on PinterestDietary choices and quality may affect a person’s risk of developing chronic disease. Nata Segueza/Stocksy
- Researchers from Karolinska Institutet studied how dietary patterns influence the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease, dementia, and diabetes in older adults.
- Older adults who regularly ate healthier diets that included vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats experienced a slower buildup of chronic illnesses.
- Those who consumed more red meat, processed foods, and sugary beverages were more likely to develop multiple chronic conditions over time.
Aging often brings new health challenges, including an increased risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, arthritis, COPD, and dementia.
A new study from researchers in Sweden offers hope for older adults concerned about their health.
When studying what effect diet has on chronic disease, the researchers found that people who consumed healthier diets tended to see a slower progression of chronic health issues and fewer chronic diseases overall.
In contrast, participants who consumed a pro-inflammatory diet were more likely to develop multiple chronic illnesses.
The study appears in Nature Aging.
Tracking the link between food choices and aging
Aging may bring about new health problems such as hearing loss, mobility issues, and a weakened immune system.
While some decline is expected, being proactive about one’s health, including dietary choices, can help reduce the risk associated with chronic conditions.
The authors of the current study focused on chronic disease in older adults. Some of the health problems they considered included cardiovascular disease, neuropsychiatric diseases, and musculoskeletal diseases.
To do this, they analyzed data from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K), a long-term registry that tracks health metrics, medical histories, and cognitive testing among aging adults.
The researchers included a group of more than 2,400 older adults from SNAC-K who were an average age of 71.5 years at the baseline.
The researchers divided the participants into four groups based on the answers they provided on food questionnaires:
- MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay), which focuses on consuming fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
- AHEI (Alternative Healthy Eating Index), which evaluates diet quality based on foods linked to a lower risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, such as fish, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
- AMED (Alternative Mediterranean diet), which focuses on plant-based foods and healthy fats, but adjusts recommendations for some food items such as red meat.
- EDII (Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index), which is a pro-inflammatory diet pattern high in red meat, processed foods, and sugary drinks.
The researchers considered the first three diets healthy, while the EDII represented an unhealthy, inflammation-promoting diet.
The scientists used 15 years of data to examine how the diets impacted the accumulation of chronic disease.
Older adults who ate well developed fewer chronic illnesses
The results of this study demonstrated yet another way maintaining a healthy diet is important to health.
Over a 15-year period, participants who followed one of the healthy diets experienced a slower progression of chronic diseases. Additionally, these participants had up to two fewer diseases compared to people with the least adherence to healthy eating.
Healthy eaters also experienced a slower rate of heart disease and neuropsychiatric diseases such as dementia.
The only area where researchers did not find a negative association between a pro-inflammatory diet and health outcome was regarding musculoskeletal disease.
The protective effects of the MIND and AHEI diets on neuropsychiatric health were strongest among the oldest participants. This suggests that even later in life, adopting a healthy diet can make a difference.
Experts warn that shifting eating patterns may pose challenges
David Cutler, MD, board certified family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, shared his thoughts about the study with Medical News Today.
“These results suggest that diet quality is a modifiable risk factor in slowing the rate of chronic disease accumulation among older adults,” said Cutler.
Cutler emphasized that the study made it clear that a pro-inflammatory diet can be harmful to one’s health.
While the study demonstrated the importance of healthy eating habits, Cutler noted that “changing eating behaviors is challenging.”
“This is especially true of [older adults] whose patterns have been ingrained longer, and they may see a shorter period of time to appreciate the benefits of a healthier diet,” Cutler continued.
Mir Ali, MD, board certified general surgeon, bariatric surgeon, and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center, also spoke with MNT.
“I thought this was a good study linking a healthier diet to slower disease progression,” said Ali. “Though it is difficult to separate all factors, I think it is reasonable to conclude that diet plays a major role in chronic inflammation and disease.”
Ali also shared concerns about the difficulty in changing eating patterns for older adults.
“The older someone is, the harder it is to make long-term changes; furthermore, disease and inflammation can progress more as we age, so it becomes more difficult to reverse these changes,” explained Ali.
“In general, we recommend to all our patients, including older adults, to reduce carbohydrate and sugar intake and emphasize protein and vegetables. This helps direct the body towards breaking down fats, reducing diabetes and inflammation overall.”
— Mir Ali, MD
