Scientists Develop Data-Driven Diet to Slow Epigenetic Aging by Nearly Four Years
Researchers have developed a new dietary index, the Empirical Dietary Index for Slower Epigenetic Aging (EDISEA), which is designed to slow biological aging. Unlike traditional dietary guidelines based on hypotheses about food benefits, EDISEA is data-driven, identifying dietary features that best predict a slower acceleration of GrimAge2, a second-generation epigenetic clock. Epigenetic clocks measure DNA methylation patterns, which change predictably with age, allowing scientists to estimate biological age. A higher EDISEA score was associated with epigenetic aging that was 4.17 years slower than expected in a derivation sample of 1,711 participants. This finding was validated in an independent sample of 2,311 participants, showing 3.77 years slower epigenetic aging. The study, published in Nature Communications, suggests that adhering to this pattern is linked to a measurably lower risk of death and a broad spectrum of age-related diseases.
