A healthy diet in midlife may help you reach 70 without chronic disease

Diets rich in plant-based foods, and fewer ultra-processed foods, is associated with healthy aging, a study has found. What you eat in your 40s, 50s and 60s may affect how healthy you are at age 70. Adults who stick to diets rich in plant-based foods , and eat fewer ultra-processed foods, in those middle decades of their lives, have a higher likelihood of reaching their 70th birthday free of major chronic disease, a study published Monday found.

The 30-year study, which followed the eating habits of more than 100,000 middle-aged adults, found that diets with comparatively higher amounts of plant-based foods – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts and beans – were associated with a higher likelihood of healthy ageing. “This suggests what you eat in midlife can play a big role in how well you age ,” said Anne-Julie Tessier, an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Montreal and the lead author of the observational study, which was published in Nature Medicine..