Plant-based dietary patterns are associated with slower epigenetic aging.

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Epigenetics
• Gerontology

Background:

• Plant-based diets are linked to health benefits.
• Dietary intake influences DNA methylation and epigenetic aging.
• The association between plant-based diets and epigenetic aging in non-vegetarian populations is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between different plant-based diet indices (PDI) and epigenetic aging measures.
• To analyze data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Main Methods:

• Four plant-based diet indices were calculated: overall PDI, provegetarian diet, healthy PDI, and unhealthy PDI.
• Epigenetic aging was assessed using GrimAge version2, HannumAge, and PhenoAge.
• Data from ARIC (N=2,810) and NHANES (N=2,056) were meta-analyzed using a fixed-effects model.

Main Results:

• Higher scores in overall PDI, provegetarian diet, and healthy PDI were associated with decelerated GrimAge2 (P <0.05).
• Higher overall PDI and provegetarian diet were associated with decelerated PhenoAge and HannumAge.
• No significant association was found for the unhealthy PDI.

Conclusions:

• Following diets rich in plant foods and low in animal products may slow biological aging.
• Plant-based dietary patterns are associated with decelerated epigenetic aging.