“Our results underscore the concept that modest improvements in diet quality over time could meaningfully influence mortality risk,” said lead researcher Mercedes Sotos-Prieto, a visiting scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. (Emphasis added.)

Earlier this month, we shared a brief headline about a new study that reinforces the notion that improvements in diet can lead to a longer life. While few people are surprised by this, what’s truly important is that we now have validation based on a large study that specifically targeted older adults who made changes to diet over time.

Empirical Evidence Links Diet to Life Expectancy

“Most participants in our study were 60 years or older,” Sotos-Prieto said. “A main take-home message is that it’s never too late to improve diet quality,” she continued.

The study found that people who had changed for the better, adding more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, for example, had a lower risk of premature death than those whose diets stayed the same.

By contrast, people who let their eating habits slide faced a higher risk of dying during the study period: 6% to 12% higher, compared to stable eaters, the findings showed. (MedLinePlus.gov)

Overall, the study found, a 20% improvement in diet quality was linked to an 8% to 17% decrease in the risk of early death from any cause. There was a similar dip in the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, specifically. That 20% shift is a minor change; for example, swapping out one daily serving of red meat for one serving of legumes or nuts would do the trick.

Not only does this reinforce the concept of healthy eating over time, it also reinforces the notion that there is no nutritional “magic bullet”, a pill or shake or juice bend, that will make an unhealthy eater suddenly healthy. Instead, overall diet matters, and it matters to all of us, of every age.

It’s also never too late to make changes, to add more whole grains, fruits, and veggies to your diet, and to learn to make healthier eating choices in the moment. In other words, health eating is a life-long habit, and you’re never too old to change your habits – toward healthier eating.