Year: 2026
Type: editorial
Abstract: Ageing is one of the most significant social changes of the 21 st century, with decrease in the number of young individuals and increase in the number of old population (Gianfredi et al., 2025;Ismail et al., 2021). The population with age more than 60 years is estimated to cross 2.1 billion marks by the end of 2050, representing 21% of the world's total population (United, 2023). Ageing is an unavoidable physiological process which causes decrease in the biological functions; however, ageing may not necessarily refer to illness (Noto, 2023). In recent years, the nutritional strategies have been the point of attraction because it increases life expectancy and keeps the ageing individuals free from the diseases (Hu, 2023). A well-planned diet plays a crucial role in preventing onset of age-related medical conditions like dementia, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and maintains good mental health. The diet pattern changes with the change in the age of the individuals. The diet which is suitable for an individual in its 40s may not be a good choice for the same individual in his 60s (Fekete et al., 2023). The calorie requirement of an individual varies with ageing, The calorie requirement of a male with age between 60 -69 is 2000 kcal /day and 2900 kcal /day if he follows sedentary and active lifestyle respectively (Fekete et al., 2023). However, besides the daily calorie intake, the macro and micronutrient present in the diet are also very important (Faria-Silva et al., 2020). This Research Topic aims to delve into various nutritional interventions that can slow the aging process, promote a healthier old age, and decrease incidences of age-related diseases. It seeks to uncover how specific nutrients, dietary patterns, and lifestyle choices influence aspects of aging such as cellular senescence, oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial health. The primary goal is to pinpoint effective nutritional strategies that bolster overall health and extend both health span and lifespan in elderly populations, encompassing the effects of anti-aging foods, plant-based diets, phytochemicals, antioxidants, as well as probiotics and prebiotics.The unhealthy eating pattern /unhealthy diets are affecting the consumers with age more than 60. There are many studies published in the literature showing importance of proper diet in healthy ageing and preventing lifestyle related diseases. The quality of the diet depends on the macro and micro nutrients present in the food and quantitatively a diet can be characterised by the calories supplied by the particular diet. The intake of major food components like lipids, proteins ad carbohydrates changes with the increase in age. The 50 -60% of daily energy should come from carbohydrates followed by 25 -30% from lipids (Fekete et al., 2023). The consumption of saturated fat / animal fat should be avoided and rather vegetable oil should be used as a cooking medium. The studies suggest close association between the consumption of animal fat and risk of type 2 diabetes (Neuenschwander et al., 2020).Lowering the intake of saturated aft also lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases by lowering the low-density lipoproteins. The ageing population are at the higher risk of osteoporosis and sarcopenia which causes loss of physical strength. Increase in intake of protein through sources like sea food, meat, milk, dairy products can slow down the loss of lean muscle mass (sarcopenia). The intake of protein should be between 1 -1.2 g/kg/day (healthy aging) and 1.2 -1.5 g/kg/day for individual with chronic conditions (Harris et al., 2025). The daily requirement of dietary fibers (30 -40g) should be met by consuming fruits and vegetables. Apart from major food components the minor food components (vitamins and minerals) also play a key role in healthy ageing. The daily intake of 1200mg calcium is recommended for aged man above 70 years and aged women above 50 years to prevent the risk of osteoporotic fractures. The daily intake of vitamins should be met by the ageing individuals to prevent age related diseases and promote healthy ageing.The present research topic has published total 9 research and review articles focusing on the importance of diet and nutrient supplement on healthy ageing. Tian & Chen, (2026) reported a study on use of nutrient supplement by 9,986 participants with chronic diseases aged 65 and above in China. The authors reported that around 1189 individuals used the nutrient supplement. Among all the calcium was the most commonly used followed by multivitamins and protein supplement. A review by Zhang et al., (2025) highlighted the dietary phenolics and exercise complementation to delay the process of ageing. The authors concluded that the mitochondrial dysfunction and buildup of its ROS are responsible for ageing.However, these are caused due to lifestyles of individuals, genes and the age. The phenolics and the exercise action on the mitochondria helps in delaying the ageing process and is in line with the existing idea of the anti-ageing. The synergistic effect of exercise and the phenolics enhances mitochondrial health by the process of biogenesis and antioxidant defences. This effect balances the cellular oxidative stress and improves energy production.In US study was carried out by Li et al., (2025) The biological ageing process can also be delayed by the dietary diversity as reported by Liao & Li, (2024). The results reported in the study provides the significant correlation between the higher dietary diversity and the delayed in phenotypic age. Similarly, the review by Giraldo-Castrillon et al., (2026) highlighted effect of consumption of milk and milk products on cognitive function in older adults. The dairy products are considered as the neuroprotective due to presence of bioactive components in it and higher nutrient density which is a potential nutritional strategy for older individuals to preserve cognitive functions. In conclusion the studies published in the special issue highlighted the importance of nutritional strategies in delaying the process of biological ageing in individuals falling under different age groups. The delaying in the ageing is closely related to the dietary diversity, planetary health diet, microalgae supplementation, intake of dairy products etc each nutritional strategy having its own mechanism to delay the biological ageing and prevent prevalence age related diseases.
Source: Frontiers in Aging
Language: English
Topic: Nutrition and Health Studies
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,077
OpenAlex ID: W7203697377