Diet doesn't conscionable substance nan body, it sends molecular signals that tin slow down aliases velocity up biologic aging, according to a caller position successful npj Aging (Nature Portfolio). The authors explicate that biologic age, a measurement of functional health, tin diverge sharply from chronological property and that targeted nutritional and manner choices tin crook nan trajectory toward healthier aging.
Nutrition is 1 of nan strongest levers we person to power nan complaint of biologic aging and resilience against chronic disease. Our extremity is to move from 'one-size-fits-all' proposal to targeted dietary strategies that measurably displacement biologic age."
Professor Carsten Carlberg, University of Eastern Finland
Bending nan aging curve
Summing up caller research, nan authors propose that manner choices for illustration diet, beingness activity, slumber and societal engagement tin crook nan aging curve - enabling optimal aging. People aging optimally support a biologic property younger than their chronological age, while unhealthy habits accelerate aging and heighten illness risk.
Food contains thousands of bioactive compounds that enactment arsenic molecular signals and, according to nan authors, could beryllium specifically harnessed to modulate biologic age. However, location is still a immense magnitude of "Nutrition Dark Matter" - much than 139,000 compounds that stay mostly uncharacterized but whitethorn modulate cardinal aging pathways.
Biological property tin beryllium tracked utilizing aging clocks - computational biomarker models based connected epigenetic, proteomic aliases microbiome data. The article compares nan applicability of different aging clocks successful patient aging research. For example, risk-predictive clocks for illustration GrimAge tin thief place and show interventions to slow aging.
Whole diets still triumph - nan gut microbiome is nan target
Research has shown that semipermanent adherence to plant-rich patient eating patterns specified arsenic nan Mediterranean fare and nan AHEI and DASH diets tin up to double the likelihood of aging healthily, preserving cognitive, beingness and intelligence usability into older age.
The article highlights nan gut microbiome arsenic a cardinal target of dietary interventions to slow down aging. Diet powerfully shapes nan gut microbiome, which successful move modulates inflammation, circadian rhythms and immune resilience, offering aggregate levers for precision nutrition interventions.
"Think of this arsenic precision geroprevention," adds Carlberg. "With validated biomarkers and pragmatic policies, we tin guideline mundane nutrient choices that support biologic property beneath chronological property for longer."
Call to action for patient aging
The authors constituent retired that pinch aging populations worldwide, preventive approaches are urgent. To construe nan caller advances successful investigation and exertion into meaningful change, they telephone for action successful respective areas. These include:
- Validation and standardization of aging biomarkers,
- Mapping nan food-derived bioactive compounds and their targets to uncover caller dietary modulators, and
- Building cross-sector partnerships to bring precision nutrition from nan laboratory into clinics, communities and nationalist wellness policies.
The article besides highlights nan activity of nan Biomarkers of Aging Consortium and nan EIT Food Healthy aging Think & Do Tank successful advancing patient aging investigation and its translator towards objective practice.
Source:
Journal reference:
Carlberg, C., et al. (2025). Modulating biologic aging pinch food-derived signals: a systems and precision nutrition perspective. npj Aging. doi.org/10.1038/s41514-025-00266-5