The saying “you are what you eat” sounds familiar. For a while, we thought it was just our parents making it up to stop us from eating another chocolate bar, but now research has revealed that as we age, we need to pay much more attention to our diet.

According to a study published in The Journals of Gerontology, people who eat healthily as adults are more likely to remain physically fit in old age.

A team of researchers from the University of Southampton (UoS) and University College London found that participants who ate healthily over many years performed better on three measures of physical performance between the ages of 60 and 64.

The study also looked at what the participants ate between the ages of 36 and 64. Those who ate more fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain baked goods (and fewer processed meats and refined carbohydrates) performed better on the chair test, balance test, and timed up-and-go test (standing up from a chair, walking forward around a target, then sitting back down).

Adults who switched to a healthier diet in their later years also performed better on the first two tests, so it’s never too late to make a change!

“Changing the quality of our diet has a positive impact on health at any age. However, this study suggests that eating well throughout adulthood – less processed foods and more vegetables, fruits and whole grains – has a significant impact on fitness and physical performance in old age,” concluded the author, Sian Robinson (Professor of Nutritional Epidemiology, UOS).

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