Association between dietary patterns in the remote past and telomere length

Area of Science:

• Nutrition science
• Gerontology
• Molecular biology

Background:

• Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a biomarker for biological aging.
• Limited data exist on the association between diet and LTL.
• This study investigates dietary patterns and LTL in Korean adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between dietary patterns and LTL.
• To examine the relationship between specific food consumption and LTL.
• To understand diet's role in biological aging.

Main Methods:

• 1958 Korean adults (middle-aged and older) from a population-based cohort.
• Dietary data collected via food frequency questionnaire (2001-2003).
• LTL assessed using real-time PCR (2011-2012).

Main Results:

• Two dietary patterns identified: 'prudent' and 'Western'.
• A prudent dietary pattern (high intake of whole grains, seafood, legumes, vegetables, seaweed) was positively associated with longer LTL.
• Higher consumption of legumes, nuts, seaweed, fruits, dairy, and lower intake of red/processed meat and sugary drinks correlated with longer LTL.

Conclusions:

• Dietary habits from a decade prior may influence biological aging.
• A prudent diet may contribute to slower biological aging.
• Findings highlight the long-term impact of diet on healthspan.