It’s no surprise that what people eat has an impact on their health, but trying to pinpoint exactly what diet out of the hundreds out there is most optimal for a long, healthy life can be overwhelming. A new study reports that there is no one optimal diet for longevity, but several general eating patterns that can shift life expectancy.
Published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the study found that one can reduce their risk of an early death by nearly 20 percent by eating foods from one of four healthy eating patterns: A Mediterranean diet, a plant-based diet, the Alternative Healthy Eating Index and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (more on those below). All four eating patterns emphasize whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.
Professor and chair of Harvard’s Department of Nutrition, Dr. Frank Hu, said in a statement, “It is critical to examine the associations between DGAs– recommended dietary patterns and long-term health outcomes, especially mortality.”
Hu says there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to eating healthy and dietary choices can be tailored to individual preferences as…
