Twins study links poor diet to accelerated biological aging in young adulthood

diet predicts the rate of biological aging in young adulthood. The study participants were twins between the ages of 20 and 25. The paper is published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.

According to the results, diets characterized by low intake of vegetables and fruits and high consumption of red and processed meat, fast food, and sugar-sweetened soft drinks were associated with faster biological aging. Conversely, diets rich in vegetables and fruits and low in meat, fast food, and sugary soft drinks were associated with slower biological aging.

“Some of the observed associations may also be explained by other lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, smoking, and body weight, as healthy and unhealthy lifestyle habits tend to cluster in the same individuals,” says postdoctoral researcher Suvi Ravi. “However, diet maintained a small independent association with aging even when we accounted for other lifestyle factors.”

Since the study participants were twins, the research was able to investigate the genetic influence on the relationship between diet and biological age. The results suggest that a shared genetic background, but not the shared childhood environment of the twins, explains the relationship between diet and aging in young adulthood. “However, this does not mean that a health-promoting diet would not benefit everyone,” emphasizes Ravi.