ADOPTING diets to stave off diabetes in your 40s could keep you fit

Middle age, specifically being in your 40s, is likely pivotal for maintaining physical and mental well-being in one's 70s, research indicates.

Consuming a diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats in middle age was found to effectively prevent chronic illnesses and slow cognitive decline in later decades.

A study spanning 30 years, involving over 100,000 participants, discovered that individuals who adhered to one of eight defined healthy diet patterns recorded a markedly higher likelihood of being physically fit at the age of 70, specifically up to 84 percent more.

According to Harvard University specialists, associations were found to be robust even when accounting for other lifestyle factors, underscoring that diet should be utilized to promote aging effectively.

Previous studies have demonstrated that healthy lifestyles can help prevent chronic diseases, and this investigation examines the absence of disease in combination with the ability to maintain independence and a high quality of life.

Researchers examined data from over 106,000 people collected over a period spanning more than three decades, with participants completing dietary questionnaires every four years since 1986.

The participants were all 39 years or older and were not suffering from any long-standing health issues at the beginning of the study.

The researchers compared the rates of healthy aging among people who mostly followed healthy diets to those who followed the least healthy diets in the population.

By 2016, nearly half had passed away, and only 9.2 percent had reached the age of 70 or older while maintaining their health in a disease-free state, physically, cognitively, and mentally.

Individuals who consumed the highest amounts of fruits, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes and low-fat dairy products were 84 per cent more likely to demonstrate successful aging compared to those who consumed the least of these foods.

Meantime, a low-carbohydrate 'hyperinsulinemia' diet, named after a condition in which the body has too much insulin, often recommended for type 2 diabetics, increased the odds by 78 percent.

The Planetary Health Diet, consisting of half a plate of fruits and vegetables and the other half of whole grains, plant-based proteins such as beans, lentils, pulses, and nuts, along with limited amounts of meat and dairy, ranked at 68 per cent.

This was closely followed by the Mediterranean diet, which usually includes two to three servings of fish a week, while a primarily plant-based diet resulted in a 43 per cent greater likelihood of attaining healthy longevity.

Research has shown that individuals consuming higher amounts of trans fats, sodium, total meat, red meat, and processed meat were less likely to experience healthy aging, as reported at the Nutrition conference in Chicago.

Dr. Anne-Julie Tessier, lead author, said: ‘Those who followed a balanced diet during middle age, especially those rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, were significantly more likely to achieve healthy aging.’

‘It indicates that the food choices you make in middle age can have a significant impact on how well you age later in life.’

Approximately 90 per cent of adults with diabetes in the UK have Type 2 diabetes.

This is a chronic condition that results in abnormally high blood sugar levels in the body.

There are two principal forms of diabetes:

The body's immune system mistakenly targets and destroys the cells that produce insulin.

When the body does not produce enough insulin or when the body's cells do not respond to insulin, this condition occurs.

Type 2 diabetes is largely more prevalent than Type 1.

In the United Kingdom, about 9 in 10 adults with diabetes have Type 2.

Reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes can be achieved by adopting a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body mass index.

The primary signs of diabetes include: feeling extremely thirsty, an increased need to urinate, often at night, getting extremely tired, unexpected weight loss, and a loss of muscle mass.

Source: NHS

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