Diet & Chronic Disease Prevention for Healthy Aging
Research in our Diet & Chronic Disease Prevention for Healthy Aging directive strives to find specific food components, foods, and dietary patterns that promote healthy aging and can help delay or slow progression of age-related chronic diseases.
Our scientists are investigating how diet and physical activity influence cellular, metabolic, and chronic disease risk factors. As part of this effort, they are also advancing methodologies to effectively measure diet quality, physical activity, and biomarkers that reflect healthy aging.
Examples of our work
Research summary: Calorie restriction as a way to slow biological aging
Calorie restriction is the only nutritional intervention known to extend healthspan, a measure of healthy aging, in animals. Scientists in our Diet & Chronic Disease Prevention for Healthy Aging directive, examined the effects of 2-year caloric restriction in CALERIETM, the first, multi-site study in humans, conducted, in part, at the HNRCA. Participants in the CALERIETM trial were able to safely reduce their caloric intake and experienced numerous health-related benefits including reductions in inflammation and cardiovascular risk factors. The CALERIETM study demonstrated that the benefits of calorie restriction extend to humans, and have the potential to slow the processes inherent to biological aging, thereby building a foundation for future intervention and research.
- Read our summary of the benefits of calorie restriction in humans
- Read our calorie restriction and dietary intake study
Research Summary: Healthy oils and risk factors for heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. and globally. A focus in the Diet & Chronic Disease Prevention for Healthy Aging directive has been to identify diet related factors that are associated with decreased risk of developing heart disease. Our scientists have demonstrated the benefits of soybean oil compared to butter, soybean oil compared to partially hydrogenated fat, and soybean or canola oil compared to palm oil. They have also determined that soy protein compared to animal protein, as well as soy derisoflavones do not in themselves, improve cardiovascular risk factors. These findings are important contributions to the evidence base used to develop dietary guidelines.
