Recent research has highlighted the importance of dietary patterns as a prevention strategy to promote healthy aging. Perhaps the most well-known of these is the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). This way of eating focuses on eating foods mainly from plants and not eating ultra-processed foods and animal foods much at all. Evidence demonstrates that adhering to the AHEI is associated with reduced risk for chronic diseases and premature death. This effect is particularly pronounced for people in their seventies and older.
The AHEI was created as an assessment tool to help prevent, treat, and/or reverse the trajectory of chronic diseases. It promotes a variety of nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fats. Those participants who adhered most strongly to the AHEI dietary pattern had the greatest odds of healthily aging. Specifically, studies show that individuals adhering to AHEI had a 2.2-fold higher chance of experiencing healthy aging by age 75 compared to those who did not follow this pattern.
AHEI promotes an overall healthy diet, similar to other popular dietary patterns like DASH and MIND. These diets are designed to promote overall health, well-being, and quality of life. AHEI aims to capture the effects of foods that improve overall health. It’s an important part of a healthy, overall dietary pattern aimed at reducing chronic disease risk.
Not only can more deeply nutritious foods prevent and treat chronic diseases, these foods can reverse chronic diseases. This principle was at the heart of developing the AHEI, along with other dietary patterns such as DASH and MIND. According to Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, it’s never too early to begin. The earlier we invest in these basic necessities, the better they’ll serve as we get older.
AHEI encourages having five servings of vegetables a day, with an emphasis on green leafy vegetables. It further recommends four servings of fruits, five to six servings of whole grains, plant-based protein sources such as nuts or legumes, fish several times per week and using plant oils as your main cooking fats.
We could definitely do better,” said Anne-Julie Tessier, RD, PhD, when a high Alternative Healthy Eating Index score advises eating five servings of vegetables a day. For even more power, eat at least one extra serving of green leafy vegetables, four servings of fruits, five to six servings of whole grains, one serving of plant protein (such as nuts or legumes) per day, one serving of fish per week, and plant oils as your usual cooking fat.
Research conducted through the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study further supports the notion that dietary choices made during midlife significantly impact healthy aging. People who adhered to a number of different healthy dietary patterns over this time experienced remarkable positive effects. In particular, those diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats increased their odds of experiencing healthy aging by 45-86%.
“Diet is the second most impactful modifiable risk factor for chronic disease after tobacco use. What’s most surprising of all, despite its centrality, is how few studies have sought to understand the connection between dietary patterns and overall healthy aging. From a nutritional perspective, Tessier stressed that dietary recommendations should go beyond just preventing disease. They might encourage as an important long-term outcome the goal of healthy aging.
Combined with the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in this vulnerable population, effective dietary strategies to prevent or mitigate risks are imperative. According to Tessier, more than 75% of older adults live with at least one chronic disease. Moreover, 50% of this population experiences functional limitations and 10% have dementia. These statistics underscore the importance of adopting dietary patterns that help protect health during the older years.
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