Reporter brief
Higher diet quality associated with lower odds of accelerated biological aging in observational study.
What happened
This cross-sectional analysis of 12,511 U.S. adults from NHANES 2005-2010 examined whether diet quality, measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), was associated with phenotypic age acceleration derived from 9 clinical biomarkers. Each 1-point increase in HEI-2015 was associated with lower odds of accelerated aging (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97-0.98). Mediation analysis found that approximately 29% of this association was mediated through body shape indices, particularly waist-to-height ratio and Body Roundness Index.
Why it matters
Assessment pending; this report does not establish a change in evidence.
What it does NOT prove
- Limitations have not been recorded; consult the primary source.
Study design and sample
Observational; Human.
U.S. adults aged ≥20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2010
- Design
- Observational
- Sample
- 12,511
- Journal
- Medicine
- Published
- Sep 18, 2026
Effect size
Odds ratio = 0.98 (95% confidence interval: 0.97-0.98) for each 1-point increase in HEI-2015 associated with lower odds of accelerated aging
Caveats
- Assessment: Pending.
- Only the source material recorded on this evidence page was assessed.
Conflicts and funding
Not recorded.
Previous evidence
See the Mediterranean diet timeline and recorded assessment for prior evidence.
Primary source
Cancel Death charts and briefs may be reproduced editorially with attribution to CancelDeath.com. This brief is generated from the primary recorded source facts and assessment. Its review status is shown below; verify quotations against the paper before publication.