A recent study reveals that a simple dietary change could reduce biological age by up to four years, in a short period of just one month.
The study explained that modifying the diet by reducing fat and relying more on plant-based foods may actually reverse biological aging.
In the study, researchers in Australia followed more than 100 people aged between 65 and 75 who did not suffer from serious illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, or liver disease for four weeks, monitoring 20 vital signs in the participants’ bodies, including cholesterol, insulin, and blood pressure levels, with the aim of measuring what is known as “biological age,” which is the age associated with cell health and body functions, and which may differ from the actual chronological age.
The participants were randomly divided into two diets; the first was a varied diet consisting of about 50% animal sources and 50% plant sources, while the second was based on a semi-vegetarian diet that was predominantly plant-based.
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The participants were also divided into subgroups according to the proportion of fat or carbohydrates in their diet, which allowed for a comparison of the impact of these different dietary patterns on health indicators.
The results showed that a varied, carbohydrate-rich diet had the most significant effect, with participants appearing biologically about four years younger than those who followed a high-fat diet. Those following a semi-vegetarian diet were also found to be biologically about three years younger than the other groups.
Researchers believe this is because these diets rely on complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, vegetables, and legumes, which may help reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol levels, thus lowering the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease.
Dr. Caitlin Andrews, the study's lead author from the University of Sydney, said: "It's too early to say for sure that specific dietary changes will prolong life, but the results offer an early indication of the potential benefits of dietary modifications for older adults."
At the end of the experiment, the researchers noted that the group that followed a high-fat diet showed little change in biological age, while the other groups recorded varying decreases, the greatest of which was in the group rich in complex carbohydrates.
The researchers stressed that these results are encouraging but short-term, and require further long-term studies to confirm the impact of these diets on public health and reduce the risk of age-related diseases.
Dr. Alastair Senior, one of the study's authors, said: "We need long-term follow-up to see if these dietary changes can actually affect age-related diseases."
The study was published in the journal Aging Cell.
