Healthy Eating Patterns Can Lower Risk Of Pre-mature Death: Study

The researchers found that participants engaged in at least one of the four healthy eating patterns are at lower risk of early death

A new study published on Monday by JAMA Internal Medicine found that a variety of healthy eating habits can reduce the chances of premature death from cardiovascular disease, cancer and even respiratory disease.

After examining 36 years of health data collected from 75,230 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study and 44,085 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up, the researchers found that participants discovered that they were engaged in at least one of the four healthy eating patterns, 2015's Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015), Alternative Mediterranean Diet (AMED), Healthy Plant-Based Diet Index (HPDI), and Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) - lower likelihood of early death or severe disease-related death.

All participants were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline and completed dietary questionnaires every four years. Their information was scored on each of the four eating pattern indicators. Key ingredients such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes are all common, but other ingredients vary depending on diet.

Higher scores on at least one of the indicators were associated with a lower risk of premature death from all causes and of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory disease. Higher AMED and AHEI scores are associated with a lower risk of death from neurological disease. Results match non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics.

The results are consistent with current dietary guidelines for the US. Current DGAs (2015-2020) recommend a variety of healthy eating habits that can be tailored to individual dietary traditions and preferences. An updated version of the guidance is published every five years by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

"The dietary guidelines for Americans are intended to provide science-based dietary advice to promote good health and reduce serious chronic diseases. Therefore, it is essential to examine the association between the DGA-recommended diet and long-term health outcomes, particularly mortality," corresponding authors Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Senior Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and Director of the Department of Nutrition said.

"It is important to assess adherence to DGA-recommended dietary habits and health outcomes, including mortality, so that timely updates can be made,” Hu said. "Our findings will be of value to the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which was established to evaluate current evidence on different diets and health outcomes."