Interview with Anne-Julie Tessier, PhD, RD
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Anne-Julie Tessier, postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, USA. We had the pleasure to meet her during the ASN Nutrition Congress 2024, where she presented her work about the optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging, highlighting key findings from her work in two large US prospective cohort studies.
In these studies, healthy aging was defined as surviving to age 70 years while maintaining good cognitive function, physical function, mental health, and free of chronic diseases. To evaluate the impact of each dietary patterns, the researchers compared rates of healthy aging among people in the highest versus lowest quintiles for adherence to each of eight healthy dietary patterns that have been defined by previous scientific studies. They also looked at the food group contribution to healthy aging, independently from the diet pattern.
In this interview, she provides comments on her work on optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging. Dietary patterns seem to be correlated with healthy aging and yogurt may have an interesting role to play
Key messages
- Even after considering physical activity and other health-related factors, the connection between diet and healthy aging remained strong. Anne-Julie Tessier pointed out that each healthy diet was associated with overall healthy aging, as well as specific aspects like physical health, cognitive function, and mental well-being. This highlights the importance of dietary pattern choices for long-term health outcomes,
- Among the studied dietary patterns, the diet rated with the highest Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) showed the strongest association with healthy aging. This pattern reflects close adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It emphasizes the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fats. Individuals following diets with higher AHEI scores had an 84% greater chance of achieving healthy aging at 70 years.
- Higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy were associated with greater odds of healthy aging.
- On top of the diet quality, the study observed that higher yogurt intake was positively associated with improved chances of healthy aging.
Can you tell us about yourself and your scientific work?
I am a registered dietitian, currently working as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. My research focuses on the epidemiological aspects of nutrition, particularly the relationship between nutrition, metabolomics, cognition, and sarcopenia in aging. Additionally, I am involved in developing and evaluating novel mobile applications for dietary assessment.
What was the primary objective of the study on dietary patterns and healthy aging?
We aimed to look at the effects of long-term adherence to 8 healthy diets in midlife, such as Mediterranean diet or the Planetary Health diet, on chances of achieving healthy aging at the age of 70 years.
Which dietary pattern showed the strongest association with healthy aging?
People who had higher adherence to all healthy diets in midlife were 43-84% more likely to achieve healthy aging compared to those who had lower adherence. This suggests that what you eat in midlife can play a big role in how well you age.
The leading healthy diet was the diet with the highest Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), which was associated with 84% greater chances of healthy aging at 70 years and 2.2 times higher chances at 75 years. A higher AHEI score reflects a diet that aligns with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; it emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fats.
What food groups were positively associated with greater odds of healthy aging?
Among dietary factors, eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, nuts, beans, and low-fat dairy products was associated with better chances of healthy aging. On the other hand, eating more trans fats, salty foods, and meats was linked to lower chances of aging healthily.
Any specific observations regarding yogurt?
Yes, a higher intake in yogurt was associated with greater chances of healthy aging and of its domains encompassing cognitive, physical, mental health and living free of chronic diseases.
Future research could help to elucidate the potential impacts of switching to a healthier dietary pattern later in life.