New Study on Nutrition and Healthy Aging

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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An interesting study came out recently in Nature, looking at the self-reported diet of 105,015 people and comparing various foods and diets over 30 years. The study prioritized “healthy aging”, which it defined as reaching age 70 without hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic problems. This was achieved by only 10% of participants. They also looked at other things like intact physical, mental and cognitive function.

These studies are not without flaws. Surveys are limited by people being sucky at accurately recording what they recently ate. Inclusion bias means healthier people agree to participate (just as angry people write yelp reviews). Exercise is hugely important but not considered here. Sleep and socialization are obviously crucial too.

Whole fruit (not the juice!) was highest on the list of healthy foods. Monosaturated to saturated fat ratio, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, and low fat dairy and wine were positively correlated with health. So was “fast and fried foods”.

Ultraprocessed foods lower the chance of “healthy aging” by 32%, but probably most of the participants were eating them; surprised this number is that small.

This study dumps on meats (organ meats and poultry were said to be marginally healthier than red meat and processed meat, high sodium was worse. Surprisingly, fish and soy were marginal). Personally, I believe a diet of fish and minimally processed meat high in fibre, fruits and vegetables is healthy - particularly in those who strength train. But others have suggested protein consumption and size work against longevity due to effects on mTor and AMPK.

High fat dairy has been shown to be beneficial in some recent studies. This study shows “margarine” to be as bad as “butter and margarine”. I personally think butter and cheese in moderation to be healthy, especially if you often use healthy canola or olive oil with a good omega 3 to omega 6 ratio.

Here is the table I found interesting (also shown in next post):
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03570-5/figures/4

Here is the rest of the story:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03570-5

Comparing diets, this study liked the AHEI diet which prioritizes the above plus oily fish. I was surprised fish in general was not more positively correlated with healthy aging - so much so I think it shows some of the studies flaws. It also does not break food down into things like pastries which I think tend to be unhealthy and hugely consumed.

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The interesting table shows foods and their correlation constants with things like healthy aging (avoiding chronic disease by age 70), mental health, cognitive health, physical health and such like.

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ChurchGuy is only 56 but had a heart attack 11 years ago, just got a pacemaker, ablation.
Hes 5’9" and 236 his waist is huge.
Yet he eats at restaurants, orders pizza, pop, cake.
I am almost 65 and only take a med for bp. I prefer homemade salads.

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I think this study is fairly accurate, and at age 70 I believe I am in the 10% of healthy people they referenced since I don’t have hypertension, heart disease, diabetes or any other chronic problems.

I’m currently on a low-carb, whole-food, plant-based diet and at a steady BMI of 25. I’m working hard not to gain back the weight I lost 2 years ago. I’m on an 18:6 TRE eating schedule, three meals, no snacking, and I mostly eat food in the green on the chart. I do my own cooking and only occasionally eat out. I never eat fast food or UPF packaged food. I eat oily fish twice a week such as salmon, tuna, or cod, and lots of veggies daily. I enjoy fruit every day, like an apple, pear, or some berries with my yogurt, and I eat a handful of nuts daily, I avoid refined carbs, and don’t eat anything with added sugar. I burn 600 calories power-walking each day and get a good eight hours of sleep each night. While I have friends and family I socialize with frequently, I live alone with my rambunctious Jack Russell Terrier named Milo.

I never used to exercise regularly but my diet wasn’t terrible, however I did have a sweet tooth and I used to eat snacks all day long. I gained 40 pounds in the 40 years after graduating college, but I am currently back down to my college weight and I feel great. My blood work always looks good and I see my PCP yearly. My brain fog lifted when I went on Keto and gave up sugar. I plan to keep this up for as long as I can, and I’m shooting to live until at least 90. My life goal is to meet my great-grandchild, assuming I ever have one. Only time will tell.

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Report of a new study that examines the specific ingredients in ultra processed foods, to try and determine which are the true risk:

Looks like flavorings (e.g. MSG, ribonucleotides, etc.), artificial dyes, and (some specific) sweeteners are the likely culprits.

There’s no mention of preservatives. It appears that that didn’t test that for some reason (too many? Strange oversight?).

Thickeners are classed as a positive. They only mention pectin, but this could possibly include xantham and guar, which are commonly used.

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That’s an interesting study, and I thank you for bringing it to my attention again. It seems to be widely accepted that ultra processing is bad, and that the Nova scale is not a complete measure since processing might be moderate and the result still healthy (milling flaxseeds, etc.).

I would caution from reading too much into surveys based on 24h questionnaires. People are not that good at remembering what they are and including everything unhealthy. A claim of 20% ultraprocessed in the face of a 50% population average is quite a contrast.

Yet it does give hazard ratios to useful subcategories, and might be of some use in directing further tests. The “generally recognized as safe” standard has failed, since not enough testing is done and the approval loopholes are enormous. Seed oils have been criticized, even ones like canola with a better (ω3/ω6) ratio than olive oil. I would not change my diet based on this study, but I would eat processed food less often and hope the worst additives are removed. Europe has done this better than Canada has. It is also worth noting things like sweeteners have been extensively studied, often funded by unfriendly competitors, and not generally shown these odds ratios.

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Health & nutrition questionnaires are pretty hard to answer objectively, even when you want to advance science and be truthful to that end. Been there, participating in a twin study the last several decades.