Top Diets That Promote Healthy Ageing, Revealed by 30-Year Study

Harvard-led research finds diets like AHEI, Mediterranean, and PHDI significantly boost chances of ageing free from chronic illness, cognitive decline, or physical limitations.

April 12, 2025: A groundbreaking 30-year study tracking more than 105,000 individuals has identified top diets that strongly support healthy ageing, including reduced risk of chronic diseases and better cognitive and physical health. The findings, published in Nature Medicine, are the result of collaborative research by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, and University of Montreal.

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What the Study Found

Participants aged between 39 and 69 were regularly assessed on their eating habits and evaluated on how closely they followed eight recognized healthy dietary patterns:

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• Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)

• Alternative Mediterranean Diet (aMED)

• DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)

• MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay)

• Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index (hPDI)

• Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI)

• Empirically Inflammatory Dietary Pattern (EDIP)

• Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (EDIH)

The top-performing diets, particularly AHEI and PHDI, were associated with up to 2.2 times higher likelihood of healthy ageing into the 70s and beyond. In total, 9.3% of participants were classified as ageing healthfully.

“Our study asks how diet affects people’s ability to live independently and enjoy life as they age,” said lead author Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard.

Key Traits of Healthy-Ageing Diets:

• Rich in: Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, unsaturated fats
• Moderate inclusion of: Fish, low-fat dairy
• Low in: Red and processed meats, sugary drinks, sodium, ultra-processed foods

Diets high in ultra-processed foods, such as processed meats and sugary beverages, were strongly associated with poor ageing outcomes.

Environmental Benefits Too

The Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) stood out for also incorporating environmental sustainability, promoting reduced animal-based food consumption.

Tags: healthy ageing, nutrition science, Harvard study, AHEI diet, PHDI diet, Mediterranean diet, ultra-processed food risks, anti-ageing diets, long-term health, cognitive health, diet and longevity, plant-based eating