A recent study published in Nature Food suggests that transitioning from an unhealthy diet to a healthy one in middle age could potentially extend a person's lifespan by nearly ten years. The study utilized a model that estimated the impact of lifestyle changes on life expectancy, using data from the UK Biobank, a comprehensive biomedical database and research resource with information on over 467,000 participants.
The findings revealed that individuals in their 40s who made the switch to a diet associated with longevity could potentially add approximately 10 years to their life expectancy. Specifically, women could expect an additional 10.8 years, while men could gain an extra 10.4 years. Even transitioning from an average diet, rather than an explicitly unhealthy one, to a longevity-associated diet could result in a gain of 3.1 years for women in their 40s, increasing slightly to 3.4 years for men. Making similar dietary changes in one's 70s was associated with a life expectancy gain of around five years.
The authors of the study noted that the longer the delay in initiating dietary improvements, the lower the gains in life expectancy. However, even individuals who began making dietary changes at age 70 could still expect to gain about half the life expectancy achieved by those who made changes at age 40.
Interestingly, the study also found that the extent of the dietary changes towards a healthier diet correlated with the expected gains in life expectancy. Whole grains, nuts, and fruits were identified as having the most significant positive impact on life expectancy. Conversely, sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meat were closely linked to mortality.
Based on the researchers' analysis, a longevity-associated diet primarily consisted of a high intake of milk and dairy, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, along with a moderate intake of whole grains and fruit.
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