Work

Multi-dimensional evidence from the UK Biobank shows the impact of diet and macronutrient intake on aging

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The role of diet in aging is crucial, yet research findings on how specific diets influence human aging remain inconsistent. Understanding the relationship between dietary factors and aging could inform interventions to promote healthier aging outcomes. We analyzed data from the UK Biobank baseline survey and a 24-hour dietary assessment survey to investigate the association between diet and aging. The study examined 18 individual food intakes, 6 dietary patterns, 3 macronutrient intakes, and 3 dietary quality scores. High-dimensional Fixed Effects (HDFE) models were used to assess associations between dietary factors and aging measures, including telomere length, phenotypic age, and brain grey/white matter volumes. Multivariable Mendelian Randomization (MVMR) was employed to explore causal links between macronutrient consumption and aging outcomes. Our results show that healthier diets are generally associated with improved aging outcomes from HDFE analyses. Plant-based food consumption correlates with increased telomere length and reduced phenotypic age, while animal-based food intake is linked to adverse aging effects. MVMR results confirm the causal benefits of carbohydrate intake, including reductions in phenotypic age (β = −0.0025; 95% CI = [−0.0047, −0.0003]; p = 0.0253) and increases in whole-brain grey matter volume (β = 0.0262; 95% CI = [0.007, 0.046]; p = 0.0087). The latter association remains significant after multiple testing correction. This study underscores the significant role of diet in biological aging and provides robust evidence for the benefits of carbohydrate intake in promoting healthier aging. These findings highlight the potential of dietary interventions to improve aging-related outcomes. We investigated the impact of diet on aging using a large amount of data about people living in the UK. We investigated the impact of dietary habits such as food consumed, eating patterns, and nutrient intake on indicators of aging, including biological age, brain health, and changes in the composition of people’s cells. We found that healthier diets, particularly those rich in carbohydrates, are linked to slower aging and improved brain health. Plant-based foods showed benefits, while animal-based diets were linked to negative effects. These findings emphasize the importance of diet in aging, offering insights for individuals and policymakers that could promote healthier, longer lives. Zhu et al. explore the relationship between dietary factors and multidimensional aging measures, including telomere length, biomarker-based phenotypic age, and brain grey/white matter volumes, using UK Biobank data. They find causal benefits of carbohydrate intake on aging, such as reducing phenotypic age and enhancing whole-brain grey matter volume.

Source: Communications Medicine

DOI: 10.1038/s43856-025-00754-5