Scientists have discovered a link between healthy dietary patterns and slower changes associated with biological aging. Researchers analyzed data from approximately 7,500 adults and examined DNA methylation changes associated with ten healthy dietary patterns. This article from Izvestia explores how diet may be linked to the body’s biological aging.
How Diet Is Linked to Biological Aging
The study was conducted by specialists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and the results were published in the journal Nature Communications. The primary analysis was based on data from 6,470 people living in the Bonn area. The findings were subsequently validated using an independent group of 1,034 individuals.
Scientists assessed the extent to which each participant’s diet aligned with various dietary patterns and then compared these metrics with markers of epigenetic aging. This refers not to a person’s chronological age, but to physiological changes that can be measured via specific molecular markers.
The results showed that greater adherence to all the healthy dietary patterns studied was associated with lower levels of epigenetic aging. However, the strength of this association varied depending on the specific diet.
Diets Studied
The researchers examined ten indicators of diet quality. These included the Mediterranean diet, the Nordic diet, DASH, MIND, and plant-based diets, as well as other patterns emphasizing foods considered beneficial for health. Less healthy versions of plant-based diets and diets high in foods associated with inflammation were analyzed separately.
Participants could adhere to multiple dietary patterns simultaneously. However, there was little overlap between the individuals who ranked in the top quartile for adherence to the different diets. This means that the dietary patterns studied did indeed differ in composition, although their healthier versions were associated with similar trends in epigenetic markers.
The DASH and Nordic diets showed the most consistent associations with the three epigenetic aging markers used. However, the authors did not view this as grounds to single out one specific dietary pattern, as the differences in the strength of the observed associations between the diets were relatively minor.
Monique Breteler, Director of Population Health Sciences at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and head of the Rhineland Study
Our study shows that a healthy diet slows biological aging. The effect is not massive, but it is measurable and significant for prevention. By slowing the aging process, one can reduce the risk of age-related diseases such as dementia or cardiovascular disorders. Thus, a healthy diet contributes to healthy aging.
What happened to the DNA
To assess biological aging, scientists used three epigenetic markers. These are based on the analysis of DNA methylation—chemical changes that can influence gene activity and shift with age.
The researchers analyzed approximately 850,000 DNA sites. While distinct sets of methylation changes were identified for different dietary patterns, more than 70% of the affected biological pathways overlapped. These pathways were primarily related to cellular structure, signaling, and metabolism.
Some changes were specific to individual dietary patterns. Notably, higher adherence to the DASH diet was associated with changes in pathways linked to heart function, whereas the MIND diet was associated with pathways related to cognitive function and memory. These results reveal differences between the diets at the molecular level but do not, in themselves, prove that specific changes directly impact the associated diseases or bodily functions. Juliana Tavares, a doctoral researcher at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and lead author of the study
Although there are measurable differences between the diets, in absolute terms, they are minor. It is the big picture that matters. In short: when it comes to slowing the aging process, there is no single healthy diet, but rather a range of potential diets that yield positive results.
Why scientists do not single out one specific diet
The study authors note that their findings point to a general link between diet quality and epigenetic markers of aging, rather than the existence of one single optimal diet. While different dietary patterns vary in composition, the associated DNA changes largely converge on the same biological processes.
Monique Breteler
It is important to note that there is likely no single “correct” diet. Our data indicate that various dietary habits are associated with slower aging—some to a greater ext to a lesser extent in others. This is an encouraging finding, as it allows for healthy eating to be adapted to personal and cultural preferences, budgets, and taste.
However, the study is observational in nature. Researchers did not assign specific diets to participants, nor did they track how dietary changes directly affect the rate of aging within the scope of this study. Consequently, the results demonstrate a statistical association between diet quality and epigenetic markers but do not prove a causal link.
Furthermore, biological aging in the study was assessed using molecular indicators rather than directly measuring lifespan or the incidence of disease. Further research is needed to determine how the observed changes relate to the actual risk of age-related diseases and the duration of healthy life.
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