Dietary fiber and high quality carbohydrate intake during midlife were linked to healthy aging outcomes in women later in life.
Researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined total carbohydrate intake in more than 47,000 females ages 70–93 from the Nurses’ Health Study, the largest investigation into risk factors for major chronic diseases in women.
Healthy aging was defined as healthy cognitive and physical function, good mental health, and the absence of 11 chronic conditions. A total of 3,706 participants met these criteria.
Self-reported food-frequency questionnaires were collected every four years between 1984 and 2016. Researchers examined intakes of total carbohydrates, including refined carbohydrates, high quality or unrefined carbohydrates (i.e., whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes), and dietary fiber. Dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) were calculated based on the questionnaires.
