by Matilda Charles
Sticking to a healthy diet now may help with mobility as we age. So says a new study that looked at preventing or delaying a physical decline later. Continued physical function equates to continued independent living, so this study needs a close look.
A portion of the Nurses’ Health Study looked at diet patterns of 54,762 women and compared their health to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, checking in with them every four years between 1992 and 2008.
Here’s what it learned:
- Those with a healthy diet were less likely to develop physical impairments.
- More fruit and vegetables; less sugared drinks, trans fats and sodium; and moderate intake of alcohol equated to reduced physical impairment later.
- Foods with the biggest health impact were oranges, pears, apples, leaf lettuce and walnuts, although an overall healthy diet was more important than individual foods.
The Nurses’ Health Study has been ongoing since 1976, and over the years it’s revealed a wealth of information about women’s health, courtesy of (so far) 275,000 participants.
The Alternative Healthy Eating Index is a dietary guideline used by, among other things, the U.S. Department of Agriculture to monitor the quality of the American diet. The newest version, called the HEI-2010, gives each food value points.
If you need help sorting out what constitutes a healthy diet (especially when it comes to portions), go online to choosemyplate.gov and look around. Did you know: Serving sizes of apples and oranges are not the same? Or that one slice of bread has the same value as a half cup of cooked pasta? Or that one egg and 12 almonds are equal? I didn’t.
(c) 2016 King Features Synd. Inc.
