Latest news with #KarolinskaInstitutet
1News
6 hours ago
- Health
- 1News
Over 70? Eat better now and you could still lengthen and improve your life
Study shows minor dietary tweaks among older people can slow the progress of heart disease, diabetes and depression. By Adrián Carballo Casla, Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga and David Abbad Gomez Imagine two people in their 70s. Both are active, live independently and enjoy life. But over the next 15 years, one of them develops two or three chronic illnesses – heart disease, diabetes, depression – while the other remains relatively healthy. What made the difference? According to our new research, diet may be a key part of the answer. In our new study, our group at the Aging Research Center at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, followed more than 2,400 older Swedish adults for 15 years. We found that people who consistently ate a healthy diet developed chronic diseases more slowly, in contrast to those whose diets were considered more inflammatory; that is, diets high in processed meats, refined grains and sugary drinks, which are known to promote low-grade chronic inflammation in the body. ADVERTISEMENT The usual suspects (Source: This is important because having several health conditions at the same time is one of the biggest problems older people face. It increases the risk of disability, hospitalisation and early death. It also places a huge burden on healthcare systems. But while it has been long known that diet can help prevent individual diseases, our study shows that it may also influence the overall pace of biological ageing. We looked at four well-known dietary patterns. Three of them – the Mind diet (designed to protect brain health), the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (based on foods linked to lower disease risk) and the Mediterranean diet – were associated with slower disease accumulation. The fourth, a diet high in inflammatory foods, was linked to faster accumulation. The strongest associations were seen for cardiovascular and psychiatric conditions. So, people who ate better were less likely to develop diseases including heart failure, stroke, depression or dementia. We did not, however, find a clear link between diet and musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis or osteoporosis. Some of the benefits of healthy eating were more pronounced in women and in the oldest participants: those aged 78 and above. This suggests that it is never too late to make changes. Even in very old age, diet matters. It's never too late to improve your diet. (Source: Why does food have such a strong potential? One reason may be inflammation. As people age, many develop low-grade chronic inflammation – sometimes called 'inflammaging' – which is linked to a wide range of diseases. Diets high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats tend to reduce inflammation. Diets rich in highly processed foods and sugar do the opposite. ADVERTISEMENT Another reason is that healthy diets support the body's resilience. They provide essential nutrients that help maintain immune function, muscle mass and cognitive health. Over time, this can make a big difference in how people age. Our study is one of the longest and most comprehensive of its kind. We used repeated dietary assessments and tracked more than 60 chronic health conditions. We also tested our findings using different analytical methods to make sure they held up. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including UK set to recognise Palestine, fire closes another Auckland supermarket, and Australia's plan to clamp down on YouTube access. (Source: 1News) Of course, diet is just one piece of the puzzle. Physical activity, social connections and access to healthcare all play important roles in healthy ageing. But improving diet quality is a relatively simple and accessible way to help older adults live longer, healthier lives. So what should older adults eat? The message is clear: eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains. Choose healthy fats like rapeseed oil and fish. Limit red and processed meats, sugary drinks and solid fats. Whole , unprocessed foods ideally make up most of our diets. (Source: These are the building blocks of the diets we studied – and they have been associated with slower ageing, better brain health and fewer chronic diseases in this and other research. ADVERTISEMENT Ageing is inevitable. But people can shape how it unfolds. Our findings suggest that even small changes in diet can make a meaningful difference in how people experience later life, regardless of their age. Adrián Carballo Casla, Postdoctoral Researcher in Geriatric Epidemiology, Karolinska Institute, Sweden; Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga, Associate Professor at the Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute, Sweden; David Abbad Gomez, PhD Candidate, Department of Epidemiology and Evaluation, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
New study reveals which diets will help avoid illness in later life
What you eat could determine how many chronic illnesses you get later in life, scientists warn. Research has revealed that a healthy diet - such as the Mediterranean diet which is high in plants, fish and unsaturated fats - could slow down the accumulation of chronic diseases including dementia in older adults. Inflammatory diets full of processed meat and sugar may accelerate it. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden studied four diets to investigate their impact on chronic diseases in older adults. Three of the diets studied were healthy and focused on the intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, legumes, unsaturated fats and reduced intake of sweets, red meat, processed meat and butter/margarine. The fourth diet, however, was pro-inflammatory and focused on red and processed meat, refined grains and sweetened beverages, with lower intake of vegetables, tea and coffee. Researchers followed the diets of 2,400 adults aged 60 and older in Sweden for 15 years and tracked their chronic conditions. Dietary intake was measured using food frequency questionnaires, and adherence to four dietary patterns: the Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (EDII), AHEI, the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED), and the MIND (Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). Multimorbidity was defined as the number of chronic diseases and grouped by organ system - musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and neuropsychiatric. The results published in the journal Nature Aging revealed those who followed the healthy diets had a slower development of chronic diseases. For example, long-term adherence to healthy dietary patterns, particularly the AMED, AHEI, and MIND, was linked to a slower accumulation of chronic diseases in older adults. This applied to cardiovascular disease and dementia, but not to diseases related to muscles and bones. But those who followed the pro-inflammatory diet, on the other hand, increased their risk of chronic diseases. 'Our results show how important diet is in influencing the development of multimorbidity in ageing populations,' said co-first author Adrián Carballo-Casla, postdoctoral researcher at the Aging Research Centre, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet. The protective effects of diet may be explained by reduced inflammation, a key factor in aging-related diseases. Study authors want to further their research by identify the dietary recommendations that may have the greatest impact on longevity and the groups of older adults who may benefit most from them, based on their age, gender, psychosocial background and chronic diseases.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
New study reveals which diets will help avoid illness in later life
What you eat could determine how many chronic illnesses you get later in life, scientists warn. Research has revealed that a healthy diet - such as the Mediterranean diet which is high in plants, fish and unsaturated fats - could slow down the accumulation of chronic diseases including dementia in older adults. Inflammatory diets full of processed meat and sugar may accelerate it. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden studied four diets to investigate their impact on chronic diseases in older adults. Three of the diets studied were healthy and focused on the intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, legumes, unsaturated fats and reduced intake of sweets, red meat, processed meat and butter/margarine. The fourth diet, however, was pro-inflammatory and focused on red and processed meat, refined grains and sweetened beverages, with lower intake of vegetables, tea and coffee. Researchers followed the diets of 2,400 adults aged 60 and older in Sweden for 15 years and tracked their chronic conditions. Dietary intake was measured using food frequency questionnaires, and adherence to four dietary patterns: the Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (EDII), AHEI, the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED), and the MIND (Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). Multimorbidity was defined as the number of chronic diseases and grouped by organ system - musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and neuropsychiatric. The results published in the journal Nature Aging revealed those who followed the healthy diets had a slower development of chronic diseases. For example, long-term adherence to healthy dietary patterns, particularly the AMED, AHEI, and MIND, was linked to a slower accumulation of chronic diseases in older adults. This applied to cardiovascular disease and dementia, but not to diseases related to muscles and bones. But those who followed the pro-inflammatory diet, on the other hand, increased their risk of chronic diseases. 'Our results show how important diet is in influencing the development of multimorbidity in ageing populations,' said co-first author Adrián Carballo-Casla, postdoctoral researcher at the Aging Research Centre, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet. The protective effects of diet may be explained by reduced inflammation, a key factor in aging-related diseases. Study authors want to further their research by identify the dietary recommendations that may have the greatest impact on longevity and the groups of older adults who may benefit most from them, based on their age, gender, psychosocial background and chronic diseases.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Older adults who follow healthy diets accumulate chronic diseases more slowly
Stockholm/Barcelona: Imagine two people in their 70s. Both are active, live independently and enjoy life. But over the next 15 years, one of them develops two or three chronic illnesses - heart disease, diabetes, depression - while the other remains relatively healthy. What made the difference? According to our new research, diet may be a key part of the answer. In our new study, our group at the Aging Research Center at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, followed more than 2,400 older Swedish adults for 15 years. We found that people who consistently ate a healthy diet developed chronic diseases more slowly, in contrast to those whose diets were considered more inflammatory; that is, diets high in processed meats, refined grains and sugary drinks, which are known to promote low-grade chronic inflammation in the body. This is important because having several health conditions at the same time is one of the biggest problems older people face. It increases the risk of disability, hospitalisation and early death. It also places a huge burden on healthcare systems. But while it has been long known that diet can help prevent individual diseases, our study shows that it may also influence the overall pace of biological ageing. We looked at four well-known dietary patterns. Three of them - the Mind diet (designed to protect brain health), the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (based on foods linked to lower disease risk) and the Mediterranean diet - were associated with slower disease accumulation. The fourth, a diet high in inflammatory foods, was linked to faster accumulation. The strongest associations were seen for cardiovascular and psychiatric conditions. So, people who ate better were less likely to develop diseases including heart failure, stroke, depression or dementia. We did not, however, find a clear link between diet and musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis or osteoporosis. Some of the benefits of healthy eating were more pronounced in women and in the oldest participants: those aged 78 and above. This suggests that it is never too late to make changes. Even in very old age, diet matters. Why does food have such a strong potential? One reason may be inflammation. As people age, many develop low-grade chronic inflammation - sometimes called " inflammaging " - which is linked to a wide range of diseases. Diets high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats tend to reduce inflammation. Diets rich in highly processed foods and sugar do the opposite. Another reason is that healthy diets support the body's resilience. They provide essential nutrients that help maintain immune function, muscle mass and cognitive health. Over time, this can make a big difference in how people age. Our study is one of the longest and most comprehensive of its kind. We used repeated dietary assessments and tracked more than 60 chronic health conditions. We also tested our findings using different analytical methods to make sure they held up. Of course, diet is just one piece of the puzzle. Physical activity, social connections and access to healthcare all play important roles in healthy ageing. But improving diet quality is a relatively simple and accessible way to help older adults live longer, healthier lives. So what should older adults eat? The message is clear: eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains. Choose healthy fats like rapeseed oil and fish. Limit red and processed meats, sugary drinks and solid fats. These are the building blocks of the diets we studied - and they have been associated with slower ageing, better brain health and fewer chronic diseases in this and other research. Ageing is inevitable. But people can shape how it unfolds. Our findings suggest that even small changes in diet can make a meaningful difference in how people experience later life, regardless of their age. (The Conversation)
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
This 1 Simple Change Can Slow The Rate Of Chronic Illness In Old Age
As we age, it can be more difficult to manage chronic conditions as the natural effects of our bodies slowing down settle in. However, for some older people, ageing doesn't seem to hit quite as hard as it does for others. As discussed in The Conversation, research has revealed how older people can slow down the progression of chronic illnesses as they age and, actually, much of it comes down to diet. The new study, by researchers at the Aging Research Center at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, followed more than 2,400 older Swedish adults for 15 years. 'We found that people who consistently ate a healthy diet developed chronic diseases more slowly,' said researchers, 'in contrast to those whose diets were considered more inflammatory; that is, diets high in processed meats, refined grains and sugary drinks, which are known to promote low-grade chronic inflammation in the body.' They added: 'This is important because having several health conditions at the same time is one of the biggest problems older people face. It increases the risk of disability, hospitalisation and early death.' The diet that can benefit you as you age The diet that seems most effective is rich in fruit and veggies, and healthy fats, and limits processed foods. The researchers said: 'So what should older adults eat? The message is clear: eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains. Choose healthy fats like rapeseed oil and fish. Limit red and processed meats, sugary drinks and solid fats.' And it's never too late to start on improving your diet and overall wellbeing. 'Some of the benefits of healthy eating were more pronounced in women and in the oldest participants: those aged 78 and above... Even in very old age, diet matters,' they added. If you're worried about the prices of these healthier choices, fear not. Frozen fruit and vegetables can be just as nutrient-dense and beneficial to our wellbeing as their fresh counterparts. Related... The Best Snacks For Aging Well And Preventing Cognitive Decline, According To Nutrition Experts Science Says You Can Prevent Brain Ageing With 4 Simple Steps 1 Gram Of This Nutrient Can Slow Down Ageing (And It's Very Common!)
