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<\/p>\nUp until recently the effort was to reduce mortality<\/strong>, and that endeavour has been more or less successful. Naturally now we have to turn our attention on how those extra years may be spent in good<\/strong> health. Our way of living before reaching a certain age is considered to influence the development of diseases and conditions late in life. One of the factors of influence is diet. So the question becomes does our diet contribute to healthy aging? Not a lot of research exists on this matter which affects a substantial part of the population; hence there is a direct social benefit from carrying out such studies.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The data were taken from the Nurses\u2019 Health Study which began in 1976 in eleven US states. The participants were female nurses between the ages of 30 and 55. The information was collected mainly through questionnaires. Out of that group of women 10,670 constituted the study group of Samieri et al (2013). They were in their late 50\u2019s and early 60\u2019s because it is during that period that the \u201cfoundations\u201d are set for chronic conditions. Later assessment took place to determine whether their aging was \u201chealthy\u201d or not.<\/p>\n Food intake described in Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) was converted into nutrients. Also, scores for the Alternate-Healthy Eating Index-2010 and Alternate Mediterranean Diet were calculated. Participants were categorized in \u201chealthy\u201d or \u201cusual\u201d aging groups. In order for a woman to be considered a healthy ager she had to satisfy four criteria:<\/p>\n The sample was large, participation was high throughout the whole period of the study and health in older ages was evaluated comprehensively.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Of the 10,670 only 1,171 were classified as healthy agers. The group of usual agers had more obese women, more smokers, and more women who didn\u2019t exercise as much and more incidences of hypertension. Healthy agers ate more fruit, vegetables and whole grain foods. In addition, its members scored higher<\/strong> in the aforementioned indices about healthy eating and alternate Mediterranean diet. Such higher scores were linked with a reduced<\/strong> risk<\/strong> for mental health problems and physical disability.<\/p>\n By eating healthy during our midlife we have around 40%<\/strong> more chance of healthy<\/strong> aging. A diet high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fish but low in red meat may prove very important for our well being later in life. Although Samieri et al (2013) looks at healthy aging through multiple angles, we should note that the results are consistent with those found in studies examining diet in relation to individual diseases or conditions. Therefore the link<\/strong> between diet and healthy aging is strong<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The study<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/strong>What was observed
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