A new study published in Science Advances indicates that following established healthy eating patterns can lead to a longer life, regardless of genetic factors linked to longevity. The research analyzed data from the UK Biobank, which includes over 500,000 adults aged 40–69 years recruited between 2006 and 2010.
Researchers focused on five dietary patterns known for their health benefits: the Diabetes Risk Reduction Diet (DDRD), Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED), Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and the healthful Plant-based Diet Index (hPDI). Participants’ diets were assessed through repeated 24-hour recall questionnaires. Those with at least two completed assessments and no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline were included in the analysis, totaling more than 100,000 individuals.
The study found that people who most closely followed these dietary patterns had an 18–24% lower risk of death compared to those with the lowest adherence. "Greater adherence to all five dietary patterns was linked to lower mortality and longer life expectancy. These benefits were associated with dietary adherence regardless of genetic predisposition to longevity," the authors stated.
Life expectancy calculations showed that men aged 45 who adhered most closely to healthy diets gained between 1.9 and 3.0 additional years, while women gained between 1.5 and 2.3 years compared to those with the lowest adherence. The DDRD provided the largest gain for men, while AMED offered the greatest benefit for women.
Genetic analysis used a polygenic risk score for longevity but found that diet quality improved survival outcomes across all genetic backgrounds. "Joint analyses indicated that individuals with both high PRS and high dietary scores had the greatest life expectancy," according to the researchers. No significant interactions were observed between genetics and most diet scores, except for DDRD where stronger effects appeared among those less genetically predisposed to long life.
The authors noted several strengths in their approach: large sample size, repeated measures of diet, comprehensive adjustment for confounders such as demographic factors and lifestyle behaviors, integration of genetic data, and use of life-table methods for estimating absolute differences in life expectancy rather than just relative risks.
However, they acknowledged limitations including reliance on self-reported short-term food recalls, possible residual confounding despite adjustments, limited diversity among participants used in genetic analyses, potential overestimation of genetic effects due to sample overlap within UK Biobank data sets, incomplete capture of changes in diet over time, and questions about how well results apply beyond this cohort.
"In conclusion, adherence to established healthy dietary patterns is associated with longer life expectancy, regardless of genetic predisposition to longevity," said the authors. They added that these findings support public health recommendations promoting high-quality diets as an accessible way to extend lifespan but cautioned that causality cannot be confirmed by observational studies alone.
