Benefits of healthy eating plans were observed regardless of genetic predisposition to shorter life span, suggesting diet can help offset inherited risk.
Dietary plans rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods appeared to play a particularly important role in supporting longevity.
It is well established that following a healthy dietary plan is crucial for shaping health and well-being. This extends to the influence that dietary factors can have on longevity.
Certain dietary approaches have associations with lower mortality and healthy longevity. Typically, these patterns share many common components, such as including nutrient-rich foods, while reducing the intake of less nutritionally dense foods.
While evidence shows that dietary factors are modifiable and people can change eating patterns to improve longevity, non-modifiable factors remain.
Notably, this includes genetics and a predisposition for a shorter lifespan, with research suggesting these individuals may be 21% more likely to die early than those genetically predisposed to a long life.
However, research published in Science Advances indicates that dietary patterns can still have a meaningful impact on life expectancy, regardless of genetic predisposition.
Longevity benefits from diet across genetic profiles
Importantly, the study findings suggest that the positive association between diet quality and longevity was independent of genetic risk for shorter life.
That means even individuals with genetic profiles traditionally linked to lower longevity could still benefit from eating well.
This challenges the idea that genes alone determine life span and reinforces the role of lifestyle in shaping health outcomes.
“While we expected a benefit, quantifying it in tangible ‘years of life gained’ makes the impact of a healthy diet powerfully concrete,” Chen told MNT.
“Gaining up to 3 extra years is a substantial return on the investment of improving your diet, and it powerfully translates the known reduction in mortality risk into a message everyone can understand,” said Chen.
