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Following the ‘Nutritarian’ diet can ‘significantly’ slow down aging, study finds Credits: Social Media
By Ellissa Bain

Following the ‘Nutritarian’ diet can ‘significantly’ slow down aging, study finds

By Ellissa Bain

A new study has found that following the ‘Nutritarian’ diet can slow down aging, to help you live healthier for longer.

The diet is rich in nutrients and plant-based foods, focusing on�high-fiber, low-calorie options like fruits, legumes, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Woman's Neck
Close-up of elderly woman’s neck. Credit: Peter Finch (Getty Images)

Nutritarian diet slows down aging

The study, completed by researchers from�Northern Arizona University and the Nutritional Research Foundation and published in Current Developments in Nutrition, asked 48 women of a healthy weight to follow a Nutritarian diet for five years.

Another 49 women followed a Standard American Diet (SAD) for the same length of time, characterized by more processed foods, red meat, sugar and fat. The participants all completed a series of online questionnaires and provided a blood sample.

Researchers analyzed their DNA and found that epigenetic age acceleration, the rate at which we age, was “significantly slower” in the Nutritarian group compared to the SAD group. The Nutritarian diet group also showed lower dietary inflammation.

“Our findings suggest the Nutritarian diet could help reduce chronic inflammation and slow epigenetic aging,” the study concluded.

What is the Nutritarian diet?

Started by American celebrity doctor Dr�Joel Fuhrman�in his 2003 book Eat to Live, the Nutritarian diet is one of the “most powerful steps you can take to improve your health, boost energy levels, and prevent chronic disease,” he claims.

The description adds: “This eating style is a powerful way to lose weight, reverse chronic disease, live better, strengthen your immune defences and slow the aging process.”

It has four key pillars:

  1. Eat nutrient-rich foods: Foods rich in vitamins and minerals let the body heal, achieve optimal weight and slow aging.
  2. Eat mostly plants: Animal products should only be eaten in small amounts, if any, such as meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.
  3. Eat whole foods: Consume natural, whole foods that aren’t processed and don’t come out of a packet.
  4. No S.O.S: Avoid salt, oil and sugar. Eat whole nuts and seeds rather than oil forms to get the most nutritional value.
Vegan food: healthy salad plate on white table.
Vegan food: healthy salad plate shot on white table. The salad plate is surrounded by fresh organic multicolored fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts like broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, asparagus, celery, green apple, blueberries, cucumber, sweet potato, pinto beans, pistachio, almonds, chia seeds, brown flax seeds among others. Credit: fcafotodigital (Getty Images)

Don’t forget the ‘G-BOMBS’

The diet also encourages you to eat G-BOMBS, an acronym made by Fuhrman which stands for:

  • Greens
  • Beans
  • Onions
  • Mushrooms
  • Berries
  • Seeds

These are “health-promoting” and “anti-cancer” superfoods that should be included in your diet every day.