Research finds the secret to healthy cellular ageing

Published: 22-Aug-2018

Research from the University of Michigan has found that eating a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grains, as well as being low in added sugar, salt and processing meat may help promote healthy cellular ageing in women

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, eating certain foods could help promote healthy cellular ageing in women.

In the research scientists studied the length of telomeres, DNA-protein structures found on the ends of chromosomes, to measure cellular ageing. Telomeres shorten in length during each cell cycle, so get shorter as the body ages.

However, recent research has shown that behavioural, environmental and pyschological factors also contribute to telomere shortening.

The group examined the diets of a nationally representative sample of nearly 5000 healthy adults and how well they scored on four evidence-based diet quality indices, including the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet and two commonly used measures of diet quality developed by the US Department of Agriculture and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

For women, higher scores on each of the indices were significantly associated with longer telomere length.

"We were surprised that the findings were consistent regardless of the diet quality index we used," said Cindy Leung, Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health Leung and lead author.

"All four diets emphasize eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plant-based protein and limiting consumption of sugar, sodium and red and processed meat. Overall, the findings suggest that following these guidelines is associated with longer telomere length and reduces the risk of major chronic disease."

"Emphasis should be placed on improving the overall quality of your diet rather than emphasizing individual foods or nutrients," Leung concluded.

In men, the findings were in the same direction, but not statistically significant.

References

  1. Cindy W Leung, et al. "Diet Quality Indices and Leukocyte Telomere Length among Healthy US Adults: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 1999-2002," American Journal of Epidemiology, (2018).

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