Overview
- For 45-year-olds, the healthiest eaters were estimated to live about 1.9–3.0 years longer for men and 1.5–2.3 years longer for women than those with the poorest diets.
- Researchers followed participants for a median 10.6 years with 4,314 deaths recorded, using self-reported intake from at least two days.
- Five established diet indices were assessed—DRRD, Amed, HPDI, DASH, and AHEI—and all emphasized vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts with limited red or processed meat and sugary products.
- The greatest estimated gains differed by sex, with men benefiting most on the Diabetes Risk Reduction Diet and women on the adapted Mediterranean pattern.
- Higher dietary fiber showed the strongest mortality reduction while sugar-sweetened beverages were linked to the worst outcomes, patterns the authors describe as biologically plausible and independent of measured longevity genes.