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Eating a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and low sugar, sodium and processed meats could promote healthy cellular aging in women. According to the author Cindy Leung, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, regular intake of healthy diet can maintain healthy cells and avoid certain chronic diseases.
In the study, researchers used telomere length to measure cellular aging. Telomeres are DNA-protein structures located on the ends of chromosomes that promote stability and protect DNA. Age is the strongest predictor of telomere length-telomeres shorten in length during each cell cycle. However, recent studies have shown that telomeres can also be shortened due to behavioral, environmental and psychological factors. Shorter telomeres have been associated with an increased risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancers.
Researchers examined the diets of a nationally representative sample of more than 4,500 healthy participants and how well they scored on four evidence-based diet quality indices, including the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet and two commonly used measures of diet quality developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
For women, higher scores on each of the indices were significantly associated with longer telomere length. All four diets emphasize eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plant-based protein and limiting consumption of sugar, sodium and processed meat.
The findings suggest that following these guidelines is associated with longer telomere length and reduces the risk of major chronic disease. Men tended to have lower diet quality scores than women. Men also had higher intakes of sugary beverages and processed meats, both of which have been associated with shorter telomeres.