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Researchers have found that changing your diet — even later in life — may slow the aging process in as little as one month.
Researchers from the University of Sydney assigned 104 participants aged 65-75 to one of four diets. Two of the diets were omnivorous and included protein from both animals and plants. Two included 70% of protein from plant sources.
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One omnivorous diet was high in fat, while the other emphasized carbohydrates. The two semi-vegetarian diets were distinguished in the same way. All four diets derived 14 percent of energy from protein.
“Biological age” essentially means how old the body appears based on health indicators, called biomarkers, rather than how many years a person has been alive.
University of Sydney researchers found that diet changes had an effect on people’s biological ages after four weeks. (iStock/Getty Images)
The scientists measured 20 varied biomarkers, including cholesterol and insulin levels, in participants to determine how short-term diet changes affect biological aging.
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“While chronological age increases uniformly, biological aging varies between individuals, reflecting differences in health status and the body’s resilience,” said a University of Sydney report on the study’s findings.
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According to the report, biomarker profiles “are often considered a better indicator of overall health and potential longevity than chronological age.”
Older adults who ate diets rich in complex carbohydrates and plant-based food reduced their biological age, scientists found. (iStock/Getty Images)
The scientists found that after four weeks, participants’ biological ages in three of the four diet groups reduced. Only the high-fat omnivorous dieters’ biological ages “showed no meaningful change.”
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The study, “Short-Term Dietary Intervention Alters Physiological Profiles Relevant to Ageing,” published in Aging Cell, concluded that the most pronounced improvements came from “diets rich in complex carbohydrates and plant-based components.”
Participants who consumed an omnivorous diet high in fat did not see changes in their biological ages, though all other types of diets reduced theirs in a University of Sydney study. (iStock/Getty Images)
The research team cautioned that these results are preliminary and may represent only short-term effects.
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“It’s too soon to say definitively that specific changes to diet will extend your life,” said Caitlin Andrews, who led the study. “But this research offers an early indication of the potential benefits of dietary changes later in life.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.