Diet–Longevity Linkages

Diet–Longevity Linkages

By Dr Arvind Kumar

In a recently published study in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dietic Association, the research carried out among 2,500 adults in USA in the age group of 70 to 79 has revealed that those who maintained diet comprising ‘Healthy foods’ were less likely to die and more likely to remain healthy as compared to those whose diets consisted of more or less-health healthful foods during the decade-old period examined. The study subjects were divided into six groups according to their predominant food choices among 108 food items, as follow:

• "Healthy foods" (374 participants)
• "High-fat dairy products" (332)
• "Meat, fried foods, and alcohol" (693)
• "Breakfast cereal" (386)
• "Refined grains" (458)
• "Sweets and desserts" (339)

Highlights of the Study

Ø The’healthy foods’ category was includes relatively higher consumption of low-fat dairy, fruit, whole grains, poultry, fish and vegetables and lower intake of meat, fried foods, sweets, high-calorie beverages and added fat.

Ø After all kinds of controls were applied to rule out the effects of gender, age, physical activity, smoking, race, total calorie intake and other variables, the numbers showed that the "high-fat dairy products" group had a 40 percent higher risk of mortality than the "health foods" group and that the "sweets and desserts" group had a 37 percent higher risk than the "healthy foods" group.

Ø A dietary pattern consistent with current guidelines to consume relatively high amounts of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, poultry, fish and low-fat dairy products may be associated with superior nutritional status, quality of life and survival in older adults.

(Adapted from Washington Post, 28 December 2010)