Overview

• Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) ranks dietary patterns by frequency and quantity of key food groups to predict health and longevity outcomes.
• Daily intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and unsaturated fats is linked to preserved cognitive and physical function at age 70.
• Ultra-processed foods, sugary beverages, red and processed meats, trans fats and excess sodium have been shown to accelerate aging and increase chronic disease risk.
• Findings are based on a 30-year study of more than 105,000 adults whose midlife dietary habits were tracked for healthy aging markers.
• The World Health Organization warns that global chronic disease burdens continue to grow because of unhealthy diets high in sugar, sodium and processed fats.