You don't need to go vegan to see meaningful health benefits from eating more plants.
A new study found that U.S. adults who ate more plant foods and less meat showed signs of slower biological aging, suggesting that even moderate dietary shifts could make a difference over time.
Here's what to know
The authors wrote in the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Aging, that eating more plant foods, especially healthy ones, "may be a strategy to slow aging."
The researchers used two large U.S. government datasets to test whether the diets people actually follow aligned with differences in DNA methylation, a marker commonly used to estimate biological age.
After screening the datasets, the analysis covered 2,810 people from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and 2,056 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with average ages of 57 and 63.
To compare eating patterns, the team used four plant-forward diet indexes that favored plant foods and penalized animal products. Among the aging measures they examined, the strongest association appeared with GrimAge2, which estimates age and is linked to disease and mortality risk.
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In the study, the researchers concluded that "Overall, plant-based diets, provegetarian diets, and healthy plant-based diets were associated with slower GrimAge2, possibly reflecting the role of these dietary patterns on healthy aging."
More background
The results were not the same across all kinds of plant-based foods.
Patterns built around refined grains, potatoes, fruit juice, sweets, and sugar-sweetened beverages were not tied to slower aging in the same way. In the survey data, sugar-sweetened drinks were individually associated with faster aging.
Whole grains showed the steadiest favorable association, corresponding with slower GrimAge2 in both datasets. In the survey sample, fruits and vegetables were also linked to benefits, while in the community cohort, animal fat pointed in the opposite direction.
Rather than testing a tightly managed diet for a short period, the study captured how people ate in everyday life.
What can be done?
A total diet overhaul may not be necessary to make healthier changes. Shifting meals toward whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and other minimally processed plant foods could matter more than simply cutting out animal products while still relying on soda, chips, and sweets.
The cost of obtaining healthy foods is often a concern, but a randomized crossover study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine reported that a low-fat vegan diet lowered daily food costs by 19% compared with a standard American diet, according to Earth.com. That comes to about $1.80 in savings a day, or about $650 over a year.
Where can I learn more?
These findings line up with other research suggesting that eating more plants and less meat can support long-term health, even without going fully vegan. The articles below explore that idea from a few angles, including life expectancy, mortality, lower-meat eating patterns, and newer plant-based products.
• Replacing a common animal-based food with plant protein could increase life expectancy.
• Following the planetary health diet was tied to substantial health advantages and lower mortality.
• Consumers can eat meat and dairy and still cut diet-related pollution substantially.
Read together, these articles suggest that small, repeatable food swaps can add up over time. They also reinforce the value of looking at overall eating patterns, not just one ingredient or food group.
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