Longevity & AgingTen different healthy diets all link to slower biological aging
Eating a healthy diet is linked to slower biological aging, and no single eating plan appears to be the winner. Researchers at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) studied about 7,500 men and women, looking at ten healthy dietary patterns, including Mediterranean, Nordic, plant-based and DASH. They measured biological age with three epigenetic clocks, which read chemical tags on DNA that change predictably as we get older. Every pattern was associated with slower aging, some more and some less. The results were first seen in the Rhineland Study in Bonn and then confirmed in a separate German group, the EPIC-Potsdam Study. The researchers say the effects are modest but measurable, and relevant for preventing age-related conditions such as dementia and heart disease. The encouraging message is flexibility: you can choose a healthy eating style that fits your culture, budget and tastes. The study shows association, not proof that diet directly slows aging.
