Even lenient plant-based diets can help older adults live longer – Cardiovascular Business
Oncina-Cánovas et al. explored data from nearly 600 adults in Spain aged 65 years old or older. Each participant’s eating habits were tracked using detailed questionnaires. Eating habits were scored based on how many healthy plant-based foods—fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, potatoes, nuts and olive oil—and animal-based foods—meat, animal fats, eggs, fish, seafood and dairy—were eaten by each participant. These scores were also impacted if participants ate unhealthy foods that were technically plant-based—things such as sugar-sweetened beverages or potato chips.
Participants were followed for 12 years, and 251 died during that time. Nearly 40% of those deaths were related to CVD.
Overall, healthy PVG diets that prioritized plant-based foods were linked to a 41% lower risk of all-cause mortality and 53% lower risk of CVD mortality than unhealthy PVG diets that contained more animal-based foods and unhealthy plant-based foods.
The group did note that dietary patterns were self-reported, which could be seen as a limitation to their analysis. Also, they added, there is a chance that some foods were miscategorized when questionnaires were filled out, but “inaccuracy should be non-differential.”
“This study, carried out with an elderly Mediterranean population, suggests that PVG dietary patterns may influence the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality … Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes and long follow-up periods are necessary to confirm these findings,” the authors concluded.
Click here to read the full study.
