Overall Diet Quality Matters More Than Labels for Longevity

From the Mediterranean diet to the MIND diet to the DASH diet, there are eating plans abounding that claim to have plentiful healthy aging benefits. But new research reveals that the key to eating to stay healthy as you age may be simpler than you think—and doesn’t involve overhauling your entire diet to follow in line with any one single plan.

Meet the experts: Melissa Mroz-Planells, D.C.N., R.D.N., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., registered dietitian and author of The Small Change Diet

That’s the takeaway from a recent study published in Nature Communications, which set out to test the association between 10 different healthy eating plans and markers of healthy aging. The researchers ultimately found that general adherence to a healthy eating pattern was linked to slower biological aging as measured by epigenetic clocks, which are based on changes to DNA that can reflect how quickly the body is aging. And no one specific diet stood out as any better than the others.

Before you throw out that Mediterranean diet cookbook, what does that actually mean for you? Ahead, dietitians break it down.

What do the findings tell us?

If you’ve found yourself at a loss for which diet to commit to for longevity, the key takeaway is that no one healthy eating plan is going to be the absolute best option. There’s already plenty of growing evidence that what we eat may be linked with biological aging, but the findings suggest that “our overall diet quality may matter more than following one specific ‘longevity diet,’” explains Melissa Mroz-Planells, D.C.N., R.D.N., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Importantly, that means there’s more than one way to eat well. Several healthy eating patterns the researchers studied were linked to slower biological aging. “I think that’s reassuring,” says Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., registered dietitian and author of The Small Change Diet. “You don’t have to follow the Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, or another diet perfectly to eat well. Different eating patterns can emphasize different foods while still supporting health, so choosing an approach that fits your preferences, lifestyle, and culture may make it easier to stick with over time.”

That ability to sustain a healthy eating plan long-term is key. “One of the biggest takeaways is consistency matters,” Gans points out. Mroz-Planells agrees. “There isn’t necessarily one perfect diet for healthy aging. Mediterranean, DASH, Nordic, and other healthy patterns share many of the same fundamentals,” she explains. “So the best approach is one that is enjoyable and realistic enough for you to maintain long-term.”

What does this mean for you?

The good news is that you don’t have to follow one strict diet to support longevity. But that also makes things more complicated. After all, if you don’t have one plan to follow…what should you be eating?

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Mroz-Planells recommends focusing on what the healthy eating plans the researchers studied all have in common. “There may not be one perfect diet for healthy aging, but there are some very consistent ingredients: more minimally processed plant foods, adequate protein and healthy fats, and fewer highly processed foods,” she explains.

And Gans warns not to get overwhelmed by the task of modifying your diet and instead keep things simple to start. “You don’t need to completely overhaul your diet,” she says. “Focus on small, sustainable changes that improve the quality of your overall eating pattern, such as eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and other nutritious foods. Consistency over time is likely more important than eating perfectly.”

Should our diets change as we get older?

You may also be wondering if your nutritional priorities need to shift as you get older to set yourself up for a long, healthy life—however that looks for you. After all, what you ate as a kid might not leave you feeling great now.

“Our basic nutritional needs don’t change completely as we age, but certain nutrients may deserve more attention,” Gans explains. “Protein is especially important for preserving muscle mass, and older adults may also need to pay closer attention to vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, and hydration.”

But while these are good things to keep in mind, don’t forget that what works for someone else won’t necessarily work for you. Gans points out that factors like appetite, activity levels, medications, and health conditions can all affect your individual nutritional needs.

The bottom line

The results of the study add to growing evidence that overall diet quality may matter more than any one eating plan, but there’s more to consider. Both Gans and Mroz-Planells point out that as an observational study, the results can show correlations between eating habits and healthy aging, but not cause and effect. The participants’ diets were also self-reported, so there’s no way to confirm their accuracy.

It’s also important to note that the researchers measured epigenetic aging, which provides an estimate of biological aging rather than an absolute measure. “It doesn’t directly tell us how long someone will live,” Mroz-Planells explains. “More research is needed to determine whether changing diet actually slows biological aging.”

Still, there’s an important lesson to be gleaned. “The biggest takeaway is diet quality over labels,” Mroz-Planells says. “The goal is a healthy pattern you can sustain for years, not a perfect diet you can follow for a few weeks.”