Researchers analyzed data from more than 75,000 women and 44,000 men for the Harvard study, examining links between certain dietary patterns, adherence to those patterns, and long-term health outcomes.

Participants were followed for a full 36 years (health surveys completed every four years) and none of them had cardiovascular disease or cancer at study start.

The results were quite striking! Results published in JAMA Internal Medicine 1; It showed that participants who scored higher on adhering to one of the 4 healthy eating patterns had a 20 percent lower risk of death over the study period.

They experienced significantly lower rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory disease than participants with lower participation scores.

The results showed participants who ate only 25 percent healthier;

• 6 percent to 13 percent from cardiovascular disease,
• 7 percent to 18 percent from cancer,
• 7 percent from neurodegenerative disease
• It has shown that it can reduce the risk of dying from respiratory disease by 7 percent.

These figures, between 35 percent and 46 percent, were quite remarkable!

The study had some limitations. For example, it was based on participants' ability to self-report their dietary habits, suggesting that there may be some potential for inaccuracy.

The results also show a link between dietary patterns and a longer life or correlation. Therefore, this study cannot prove that diet directly leads to a longer life.

How Is The Best Nutrition For A Long Life?

In addition to living a healthy life, things to do for a long life are also very important for people. So, according to the results of this research, which of these nutrition models are thought to support longevity?

The 4 diet types that were the subject of the study were:

Mediterranean Diet

There are reasons why the Mediterranean diet has been cited as one of the healthiest diets for decades. It includes the consumption of high antioxidant foods such as fruits and vegetables and emphasizes the importance of grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, olive oil, herbs and spices. It also allows for regular but limited consumption of poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt.

Plant-Based Diet

A plant-based diet, as the name suggests, refers to an eating plan that focuses solely on foods that come from plants and not animals. This means eating lots of nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables, legumes, and grains.

Don't forget! Plant-based dieters should be careful to avoid artificial ingredients and added sugars that can be secretly added to many plant-based foods.

Traditional Healthy Diet

This comes from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published by the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which reduces the consumption of lean animal products and processed meat intake, along with a plant-based diet. She also advocates forgiving inflammatory fats (like trans fats) and alcohol and sugar.

Harvard's Alternative Healthy Eating Index

This diet was developed by Harvard researchers specifically for this study and included grading of different foods for their association with chronic disease risk factors.

In summary, this diet is very similar to the Mediterranean diet in that it favors fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts and legumes, fish and healthy fats.

What stands out about the alternative healthy eating index is that it specifically recommends avoiding potatoes (especially all but french fries), fruit juice, and refined grains.