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Researchers found that a sustained change from a "typical Western diet" to an "optimal diet" beginning at age 20 would increase the life expectancy for a woman in the United States by more than 10 years, and by 13 years for men in the US, according to the report published in PLOS Medicine on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
The report said the study found that the largest gains in life expectancy would be made by eating more legumes, whole grains and nuts and by eating less red meat and processed meat.
According to the report, researchers used "meta-analyses, data from the Global Burden of Disease study and life table methodology showed that life expectancy (LE) gains for prolonged changes from typical Western to optimizing diets could translate into more than a decade for young adults."
Researchers defined the "typical Western diet" based on consumption data in the US and Europe. The "optimized diet" was defined based on data where consumption indicated "no additional mortality gain."
Those who make the diet change later in life would also add to their life expectancy, although by fewer years than if they made the change earlier, the report said.
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