How Different Diets Protect Our Health as We Age
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A recent review outlines how various dietary interventions can help extend the length of time we remain healthy as we age. Photo credit: Natalia Mishina/Stocksy. |
Some eating habits have been consistently linked to healthy aging and increased longevity. A recent review highlights how approaches like intermittent fasting and the Mediterranean diet can significantly extend the number of years a person stays healthy and free of chronic disease—a concept known as "healthspan." While more research is needed, experts point to key metabolic pathways impacted by these diets and recommend combining certain strategies to achieve optimal benefits for aging and health.
A new scientific review published in Nutrients (1) explores how diet influences aging, emphasizing its crucial role in both longevity and healthspan. The review examined four specific diets: calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, the Mediterranean diet, and the ketogenic (keto) diet, to assess their potential benefits for aging.
The findings suggest that these diets promote healthy aging by affecting critical biological pathways, including those related to cellular repair, inflammation, and metabolic regulation. Understanding how diet directly impacts aging is essential for improving or maintaining quality of life as we age and for preventing age-related chronic diseases.
Calorie Restriction
Calorie restriction primarily promotes healthy aging by aiding weight loss, preventing obesity, reducing inflammation, improving cardiometabolic health, and slowing cellular aging. These effects may delay the onset of age-related diseases. Calorie restriction has also been associated with increased longevity in various species.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting involves alternating between periods of fasting and regular eating. This diet can provide short-term benefits for body composition and cardiovascular health. It may also offer long-term advantages, such as improved cholesterol levels, thyroid modulation, and reduced levels of the aging-related amino acid methionine. Compared to continuous calorie restriction, intermittent fasting cycles may result in greater improvements in insulin sensitivity and cellular stress responses, enhancing cellular resilience and longevity.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is rich in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and olive oil. It also includes moderate amounts of dairy and omega-3-rich fish while limiting meat and highly processed foods. Adopting a Mediterranean-style diet can lower body mass index (BMI), support cognitive function and memory, slow biological aging, and reduce frailty in older adults. This diet focuses on nutrient-dense, high-quality foods and appears to improve gut health and reduce inflammation by promoting healthy gut bacteria and short-chain fatty acid production. It's high in unsaturated fats, fiber, and antioxidants, which support insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular health, and healthy aging.
Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is high in fat, moderately high in protein, and very low in carbohydrates, forcing the body to burn fat rather than carbs for energy. The review suggests that this diet can improve triglyceride levels, increase good cholesterol (HDL), and help with short-term weight loss. However, it can also temporarily raise bad cholesterol (LDL), posing potential cardiovascular health risks for some individuals. By drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, the ketogenic diet lowers insulin activity and promotes autophagy, which may aid in cellular detoxification and support longevity. According to the review’s authors, these effects are similar to those induced by calorie restriction and intermittent fasting. However, the ketogenic diet may also suppress appetite and cause gastrointestinal issues, suggesting more research is needed to assess its safety as a long-term dietary strategy for healthy aging, particularly in older adults.
Key Biological Pathways
Dr. Thomas M. Holland, a researcher at the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, highlights the main metabolic pathways involved in the health benefits of the studied diets:
- mTORC1 Pathway: This pathway regulates cell growth, energy balance, and metabolism. Overactivity of mTORC1, driven by nutrient abundance, can accelerate aging by prioritizing growth over maintenance. Reducing mTORC1 activity through dietary interventions like calorie restriction or intermittent fasting encourages cells to shift toward repair and maintenance processes, such as autophagy.
- AMPK Pathway: AMPK acts as the body’s energy sensor, activated during periods of low energy, such as fasting. It conserves energy, protects cells from stress, and helps regulate mTORC1. When AMPK is activated, it helps manage energy more efficiently and reduces cellular damage, contributing to increased longevity and improved healthspan.
Calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, and ketogenic diets similarly impact these pathways by reducing calorie or carbohydrate intake. The Mediterranean diet may influence these pathways indirectly through its richness in unsaturated fats and antioxidants, which can improve insulin sensitivity and vascular function.
Dr. Holland notes that reducing mTORC1 activity and activating AMPK allow cells to manage energy more wisely and reduce damage, which can help extend both lifespan and healthspan.
Practical Recommendations
Experts recommend tailoring dietary strategies to individual preferences and needs. The Mediterranean diet is often recommended for its broad benefits and overall support for health. For those focused on weight management, moderate calorie restriction may be beneficial, provided nutritional needs are met. However, intermittent fasting and ketogenic diets require caution due to concerns about their long-term sustainability, potential nutrient deficiencies, and effects on heart health.
Combining the Mediterranean diet with calorie restriction or intermittent fasting strategies could amplify their benefits. Dr. Holland suggests that pairing intermittent fasting with the Mediterranean diet may offer both metabolic flexibility and a steady intake of nutrients that support healthy aging. Nonetheless, a one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective; individual health goals, preferences, and metabolic health should guide dietary choices. Ensuring the effective implementation and maintenance of these dietary strategies is also crucial, requiring education and motivation.
Promoting healthy aging requires a holistic approach, including dietary changes, regular exercise, stress management, and maintaining social connections. Consulting a healthcare professional or dietitian can help create a personalized plan to improve healthspan and address specific needs.
A recent review examines various dietary interventions that may improve healthspan and longevity, focusing on calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, the Mediterranean diet, and the ketogenic diet. The study analyzed relevant literature from databases like PubMed and Scopus, identifying the unique benefits of each diet.
Calorie restriction promotes weight loss and reduces inflammation, while intermittent fasting improves insulin sensitivity and stress resilience. The Mediterranean diet supports cognitive function and gut health through nutrient-dense foods, potentially offering metabolic benefits similar to calorie restriction.
While effective for weight loss, the ketogenic diet requires caution due to potential cardiovascular risks. Experts emphasize the importance of individualized approaches to dietary strategies, integrating physical activity and social connections for optimal health. They recommend the Mediterranean diet combined with moderate calorie restriction for overall health benefits
while advocating for personalized dietary plans.
References :
* Medicalnewstoday ,How do keto, Mediterranean diet, or intermittent fasting lead to healthy aging? By Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN on September 9, 2024
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