Four-Week Diet Shift Shows Reduced Biological Age in Seniors
A four-week dietary intervention lowered estimated biological age in Australians aged 65-75, especially for those on a low-fat, high-carb omnivorous diet.
In a trial conducted at the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, 104 volunteers aged 65 to 75 were assigned to one of four diets that varied in fat, carbohydrate and animal-protein content. After four weeks, participants on three of the diets exhibited lower biological-age scores derived from a panel of 20 biomarkers such as cholesterol, insulin and C-reactive protein. The most pronounced reduction occurred in the omnivorous, low-fat, high-carbohydrate group.
The omnivorous high-fat diet showed no meaningful change, likely because it resembled participants' usual eating habits. Lead researcher Caitlin Andrews cautioned that the findings are early signals, not proof of permanent age reversal, and that extended studies are required to assess lasting health impacts. Associate Professor Alistair Senior emphasized the need for longer-term dietary changes to determine effects on age-related disease risk.
