DZNE study links 10 healthy diets to slower biological aging
Eating a healthy diet slows biological aging across ten distinct dietary patterns, according to findings published in Nature Communications by researchers at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE).
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Key Clinical Takeaways:
- Ten different dietary patterns—including Mediterranean, Nordic, DASH, and plant-based diets—all demonstrate measurable links to slower biological aging in a study of approximately 7,500 participants.
- Researchers utilized epigenetic clocks to measure DNA methylation across roughly 850,000 sites, finding that more than 70 percent of affected biological pathways are shared across all evaluated diets.
- The association between healthier eating and slower biological aging proved unexpectedly stronger among smokers than nonsmokers.
DZNE Rhineland Study Investigates Ten Diets
A large study involving roughly 7,500 people indicates that eating a healthy diet may help slow biological aging without requiring strict adherence to a single eating plan. Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases investigated 10 different dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean, Nordic, plant-based, and DASH diets. The DASH diet was specifically developed to help reduce blood pressure. Across every dietary style evaluated, researchers observed a connection to a slower rate of biological aging, which was tracked through chemical alterations in DNA indicative of how the body ages. Scientists initially uncovered these patterns utilizing information gathered from the Rhineland Study managed by DZNE, before validating them independently within a separate cohort.
Our study suggests that healthy eating goes hand in hand with slower biological aging. The effects are not massive, but they are measurable and relevant for prevention. By slowing the aging process, the risk of age-related diseases such as dementia or cardiovascular disorders can be reduced. Thus, healthy eating contributes to healthy aging.
said Prof. Monique Breteler, Director of Population Health Sciences at DZNE and head of the Rhineland Study.
Importantly, there is probably no single ‘correct’ diet. According to our data, various dietary patterns are associated with slower aging, some more, some less. That is an encouraging finding, because it leaves room to tailor healthy eating to personal and cultural preferences, budget and taste.
Scientists Analyze Blood Samples to Study Diet and Aging
To investigate the connection between diet and aging, scientists analyzed dietary information and blood samples from roughly 7,500 men and women. The initial analysis included 6,470 participants in DZNE’s Rhineland Study in Bonn, Germany. Following this initial phase, the team verified their discoveries using metrics from 1,034 participants who took part in the EPIC-Potsdam Study, which was managed by the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE). Instead of relying strictly on how many years a person had lived, investigators searched blood specimens for molecular indicators of aging by quantifying DNA methylation—a chemical modification mechanism affecting DNA that dictates gene regulation and cellular activity.
These chemical patterns change in predictable ways as people grow older, allowing scientists to estimate biological age.
We applied three different approaches, so-called epigenetic clocks, to read biological aging from DNA methylation.
explained Juliana Tavares, a doctoral researcher at DZNE and lead author of the publication.
To this end, we leveraged state-of-the-art technology, which allowed us to cover about 850,000 sites in the DNA. This is roughly twice as many as in most previous studies.
Participants Follow Different Healthy Eating Guidelines
To determine compliance, investigators contrasted what individuals reported eating against specific nutritional guidelines, giving scores that showed how closely each person adhered to the respective diet. Because the diets emphasize different foods and nutritional goals, a person could receive a high score for one eating pattern while scoring poorly on another. Participants who met one definition of healthy eating often did not meet the requirements of other diets.
One and the same person could therefore rank high on one diet score and low on another. In other words: People who ate healthily by one standard were often not the same people who ate healthily by another. According to our data, hardly anyone counts as a healthy eater by every standard at once.
said Tavares. Better adherence to every one of the 10 diets was associated with slower biological aging.
While there are measurable differences between the diets, they are modest in absolute terms. It’s the big picture what matters.
Tavares added.
In summary: When it comes to slowing down the aging process, there isn’t just one healthy diet, but indeed a whole repertoire of possible diets with a positive effect.
An unexpected result emerged when researchers examined the association between diet and aging among smokers. Among smokers, the connection between eating well and delayed biological aging appeared more pronounced than in non-smokers, despite smokers generally having less healthy diets overall. The researchers have not yet determined what biological processes might explain this difference. One theory is that the extensive tissue damage provoked by cigarette smoke creates a larger window for measurable benefits when individuals adopt better nutritional habits.
Smoking is very harmful to health.
said Tavares.
One explanation for our findings might be that there is just more health benefit to gain for smokers by eating healthy because of the enormous detrimental effects of smoking.
Shared Biological Pathways Across Diets
The scientists also investigated which biological processes connect the different diets to slower aging. Even though each dietary routine correlated with modifications at unique sets of DNA methylation locations, the underlying physiological pathways remained consistent. More than 70% of the affected pathways were shared across all 10 diets. These processes help regulate essential functions such as cellular structure, communication between cells, and metabolism, playing important roles in aging and the development of chronic diseases.
While the MIND diet—created specifically to promote neurological health—exhibited unique connections to memory and cognitive pathways, the DASH diet was linked to mechanisms governing cardiovascular health.
“More than 70 percent of the affected biological pathways were shared across all diets. These involve cell structure, cell signaling and metabolism — processes central to aging and chronic disease. Therefore, it is understandable that the dietary patterns we examined were all linked with a slowing of biological aging,” said Tavares.
A few pathways were diet-specific, and they matched each diet’s main objectives: heart-related pathways were unique to the DASH diet, and pathways related to cognition and memory were unique to the so-called MIND diet, which aims to support brain health. You don’t need a perfect diet — that may be the most practical message here. But moving forward, the diet-specific pathways point to future research on targeted dietary interventions. This could be helpful in designing targeted health recommendations.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and scientific communication purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment plan.