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Life expectancy can increase by up to 10 years following sustained shifts towards healthier diets in the United Kingdom

Lookup NU author(s): Professor John Mathers

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

© 2023, The Author(s).Adherence to healthy dietary patterns can prevent the development of non-communicable diseases and affect life expectancy. Here, using a prospective population-based cohort data from the UK Biobank, we show that sustained dietary change from unhealthy dietary patterns to the Eatwell Guide dietary recommendations is associated with 8.9 and 8.6 years gain in life expectancy for 40-year-old males and females, respectively. In the same population, sustained dietary change from unhealthy to longevity-associated dietary patterns is associated with 10.8 and 10.4 years gain in life expectancy in males and females, respectively. The largest gains are obtained from consuming more whole grains, nuts and fruits and less sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meats. Understanding the contribution of sustained dietary changes to life expectancy can provide guidance for the development of health policies.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Fadnes LT, Celis-Morales C, Okland J-M, Parra-Soto S, Livingstone KM, Ho FK, Pell JP, Balakrishna R, Javadi Arjmand E, Johansson KA, Haaland OA, Mathers JC

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Nature Food

Year: 2023

Volume: 4

Issue: 11

Pages: 961-965

Print publication date: 20/11/2023

Online publication date: 20/11/2023

Acceptance date: 29/09/2023

Date deposited: 04/12/2023

ISSN (electronic): 2662-1355

Publisher: Springer Nature

URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00868-w

DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00868-w

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