Women who ate diets rich in high-quality carbohydrates—including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes—were more likely to stay healthy as they aged than those who did not, according to a recent study led by researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The researchers also found that eating diets high in low-quality carbohydrates, such as added sugar, refined grains, and potatoes, lowered women’s odds of staying healthy as they aged.
The study, published May 16 in JAMA Network Open, defined healthy aging as staying free from 11 major chronic diseases including cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and heart failure, lacking cognitive and physical function impairments, and maintaining good…