Higher diet quality associated with lower odds of accelerated biological aging in observational study.
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.
What this changes
The finding has not established an approved change to our evidence assessment.
Source date: Sep 18, 2026 · Discovered: Sep 19, 2026 · Assessed: — · Research update
What it does not prove
- Limitations have not yet been verified. Read the primary source.
Extracted from supplied source material; model confidence is not a measured probability of correctness.
Study details
- Design
- Observational
- Sample size
- 12,511
- Duration
- —
- Population
- U.S. adults aged ≥20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2010
- Primary outcome
- Phenotypic age acceleration, derived from 9 clinical biomarkers
- 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
- Significance
- Significant
- Journal
- Medicine
- Published
- Sep 18, 2026
Sources
Primary source
- Medicine ↗Peer reviewed
Assessment history
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