Veg, Legumes and Moderate Animal Protein: Researchers Pinpoint the Ideal Midlife Diet

If you want to be healthy and vigorous at 70, it's worth considering what you eat much earlier. This is shown by a new study from the University of Copenhagen in collaboration with Harvard University and the University of Montreal.

The scientists investigated the relationship between what we eat in midlife and the chances of a healthy old age – a life with good physical, cognitive, and mental health and without chronic diseases.

Their conclusion does not point to selected superfoods or one particular diet:

"A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and a low to moderate intake of healthy animal proteins showed a particular association with healthy aging," says Marta Guasch-Ferré, an Associate Professor at the Department of Public Health and Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen and one of the researchers behind the study.

The study is published in the renowned journal Nature Medicine and is one of the first to examine the importance of diet for how healthily we age, not just how long we live or what diseases we develop.

"Knowledge about diet and healthy aging is important because we want to live long, well, and have an independent life with good physical, psychological, and mental health, even as we get older. Therefore, knowledge about diet and healthy aging is important," says Marta Guasch-Ferré.

Choose a green diet plan

The researchers used data from more than 105,000 American men and women who have been followed for more than 30 years. During that period, they have continuously answered questionnaires about what they eat, and this has been the researchers' basis for investigating the relationship between eight different diets and good health at the age of 70.

One diet plan that showed an association with healthy aging was the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), which was developed at Harvard University to prevent chronic diseases. It is a diet primarily consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats without red or processed meat, sugary drinks, added salt, and refined grains.

The fifth of the participants who scored highest on the AHEI scale had an 86% greater likelihood of good physical, cognitive, and mental health without 11 chronic diseases at age 70, compared to the fifth who scored lowest.

A high intake of saturated fatty acids, salt, sugary drinks, and red or ultra-processed meat was associated with poorer chances of good health later in life.

All eight diets that the researchers examined showed an association with healthy aging.

"Our study shows that there is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to diet and health, and we now know that there are several ways to eat healthily in midlife for a healthy old age," says Marta.

Reference: Tessier AJ, Wang F, Korat AA, et al. Optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging. Nat Med. 2025. Doi:10.1038/s41591-025-03570-5

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