The study, led by a team from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, looked at the eating habits and mortality rates of over 75,000 women and 44,000 men from 1984 to 2020.
They found that those who closely adhered to at least one of four healthy eating patterns, the Healthy Eating Index, the Alternate Mediterranean Diet, the Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index and the Alternate Healthy Eating Index, were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, cancer or respiratory disease and less likely to die from any cause.
All four diets studied share some components such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes but have some differences.
For example, the Alternate Mediterranean Diet encourages fish consumption and the Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index discourages eating meat.
The Mediterranean Diet is consistently ranked as the number one diet by the U.S. News and World Report, which looks at seven criteria including short-term weight loss, long-term weight loss, effectiveness in preventing cardiovascular disease, and ease of compliance.
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet and the Flexitarian Diet are also associated with improved metabolic health, lower blood pressure and reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and co-author of the study, emphasized the importance of examining the associations between the U.S. government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans and long-term health.
He added that the findings will be valuable for the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which is being formed to evaluate current evidence surrounding different eating patterns and health outcomes.
Source: The post was initially published on MarketWatch