Children of Centenarians Show Slightly Healthier Diets in Boston University Study

Children of people who live to 100 have slightly healthier diets than typical older adults, according to a new study reported by Euronews. Previous research suggests that children of centenarians have markedly lower rates of age-related disease, particularly cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack and stroke.

Researchers at Boston University in the United States conducted a study asking what long-lived families eat.

They analyzed food questionnaires completed in 2005 by 457 older adults enrolled in the New England Centenarian Study. The New England Centenarian Study is one of the world’s largest studies of very long-lived families. Most participants in the study were adult children of centenarians.

Participants' ages ranged from the mid-forties to the early nineties. The average age of participants was in their mid-seventies when they reported their diets in 2005. The study found that these adults had moderate overall diet quality.

These adults scored somewhat higher than comparable groups of older adults in the US across four recognised diet measures. The four recognised diet measures include indices linked with general health, chronic disease prevention, brain health and environmental sustainability.

The strongest parts of their diets were fruit, vegetables, greens and beans, seafood and protein-food quality, meaning foods such as seafood and less processed meats.

These adults tended to do relatively well on limiting sodium, added sugar, and refined grains. These centenarian offspring did not meet recommended intake levels for whole grains, legumes, soy foods, and nuts. Diets rich in whole grains, legumes, soy foods, and nuts are recommended by the World Health Organization as part of a healthy diet to reduce the risk of chronic disease.