New observational study on the relationship between diet quality and biological ageing

DNA methylation (DNAm) has emerged as a promising biomarker for lifestyle-related exposures, with epigenetic clocks - particularly DNAm-based biological age predictors - becoming a key focus in clinical research. These clocks estimate epigenetic age (EA), and deviations from chronological age, known as epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) have been linked to overall health, age-related diseases, and environmental exposures.

Our observational study, conducted within the LifeLines-DEEP Cohort, investigated the associations between biological aging and various dietary factors, including diet quality, processed food consumption, dietary glycemic load, and the intake of vitamins critical for maintaining epigenetic homeostasis (such as B-9, B-12, B-6, B-2, and C). Diet quality was assessed using the LifeLines Diet Score (LLDS), while food intake was categorized according to the NOVA classification system. Epigenetic age, using the Horvath, Hannum, Levine, and Horvath2 epigenetic clock models, as well as DNAm-predicted telomere length (DNAm-TL), was calculated from DNAm data in 760 participants.

Our results showed that a higher LLDS (indicating better diet quality) was significantly associated with reduced EAA and longer DNAm-TL, suggesting that a healthier diet may slow epigenetic aging. Additionally, dietary glycemic load and different levels of food processing were linked to EAA across multiple clock models. We also found that inadequate intake of key vitamins, particularly B-12 and C, was associated with positive EAA, highlighting the importance of sufficient vitamin intake.

These findings support the hypothesis that nutrition plays a pivotal role in influencing epigenetic homeostasis, particularly through DNAm, thereby contributing to individual health trajectories and the pace of aging.

Curious to learn more? Check out the publication here: external page https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916524007305