Western diet linked to poor health in old age

FAvoiding a Western diet that is high in fat and sugar could be the key to living a longer and healthier life.
This is according to new research due to be published in the American Journal of Medicine, which was based on the eating habits of 5,350 British men and women over the course of 16 years.
It was discovered that regular consumption of products like fried and sweet food, red meat, processed foods and high-fat dairy goods could lower a person’s chances of reaching old age with high functionality.
Lead investigator Tasnime Akbaraly, who is a researcher at the department of epidemiology and public health at University College London, said the study showed avoidance of Western foods could improve an individual’s chances of staying healthy in the later stages of life.
“A better understanding of the distinction between specific health behaviors that offer protection against diseases and those that move individuals towards ideal aging may facilitate improvements in public health prevention packages,” she added.
The results were obtained using a combination of hospital data, screening results taken every five years, registry information and the presence of chronic diseases among participants.