Summary: A recent secondary analysis indicates that increasing intake of certain plant-based foods—rich in natural compounds referred to as methyl adaptogens, such as turmeric, berries, garlic, and green tea—is associated with a slowdown in biological aging measured at the cellular level. Researchers evaluated DNA methylation, an established marker of epigenetic age, in men aged 50 to 72 who completed an eight-week, nutrient-dense, plant-forward lifestyle program.
Participants who consumed higher amounts of methyl adaptogen foods experienced notably greater reductions in epigenetic age. These associations remained statistically significant after adjusting for weight change and baseline epigenetic age, supporting the idea that specific dietary components can influence molecular markers of aging independently of weight loss.
Key Facts:
- Epigenetic aging: Assessed through DNA methylation patterns, epigenetic (biological) age can differ from chronological age and reflects cellular aging processes.
- Methyl adaptogens: Foods such as garlic, green tea, turmeric, rosemary, and berries were associated with reduced epigenetic age in this analysis.
- Independent effects: The observed benefits persisted after controlling for changes in weight and initial epigenetic age.
Source: Impact Journals
A new paper published in Aging: “Dietary associations with reduced epigenetic age: a secondary data analysis of the methylation diet and lifestyle study.” The analysis was led by Jamie L. Villanueva (University of Washington and National University of Natural Medicine) with corresponding author Ryan Bradley (National University of Natural Medicine and University of California). The authors examined how food choices relate to epigenetic age changes measured by DNA methylation.
The investigators focused on methyl adaptogen foods—plant-based items containing polyphenols and other natural compounds known to modulate DNA methylation. Using Horvath’s epigenetic clock, a widely used method for estimating biological age from DNA methylation data, they measured changes in epigenetic age before and after an eight-week lifestyle intervention emphasizing a plant-forward diet, sleep, exercise, and stress reduction.
The study population consisted of healthy men aged 50 to 72 who had already completed the eight-week program. Although the original trial reported overall reductions in epigenetic age, individual responses varied. This secondary analysis examined whether differences in specific dietary choices could explain some of that variability.
After evaluating dietary patterns, the researchers found that participants who reported higher consumption of methyl adaptogen foods—specifically green tea, oolong tea, turmeric, rosemary, garlic, and berries—demonstrated larger decreases in epigenetic age. In hierarchical linear regression models that controlled for baseline epigenetic age acceleration and weight change, the combined category of these foods showed a significant association with epigenetic age change (B = -1.21, CI = [-2.80, -0.08]).
Importantly, while the intervention group lost more weight than controls, weight change was not a significant predictor of epigenetic age change in the regression models. That suggests the observed associations are likely related to dietary compounds themselves—polyphenols and other bioactive molecules—rather than weight loss alone.
Methyl adaptogen foods contain natural compounds known to influence gene regulation by altering DNA methylation patterns. Prior research has linked diets rich in polyphenols—abundant in fruits, vegetables, spices, and teas—with markers of healthier aging and reduced risk for age-related conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. The current analysis supports these connections by demonstrating measurable shifts in an epigenetic aging metric associated with particular foods.
Limitations include the small, relatively homogeneous sample (middle-aged to older men) and the use of Horvath’s clock rather than a range of updated epigenetic aging algorithms. The authors recommend larger, more diverse studies using multiple epigenetic measures to confirm and extend these findings. Nonetheless, the results highlight a practical, food-based strategy that may contribute to reducing epigenetic aging and promoting long-term health.
About this diet and aging research news
Author: Ryan Braithwaite
Source: Impact Journals
Contact: Ryan Braithwaite – Impact Journals
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access. “Dietary associations with reduced epigenetic age: a secondary data analysis of the methylation diet and lifestyle study” by Ryan Bradley et al. Aging. DOI: 10.18632/aging.206240
Abstract
Dietary associations with reduced epigenetic age: a secondary data analysis of the methylation diet and lifestyle study
Background: Aging is the dominant risk factor for most chronic non-communicable diseases, motivating interventions that target biological aging. Epigenetic clocks—algorithms applied to DNA methylation data—are commonly used outcome measures to assess biological aging in such interventions.
The original Methylation Diet and Lifestyle study was a pilot randomized trial that used epigenetic age (Horvath’s clock) as the primary outcome. The trial observed meaningful reductions in epigenetic age following the intervention but also showed variability in individual responses.
Purpose: This secondary analysis sought to identify dietary components associated with changes in epigenetic age across participants and to explore contributors to variability such as weight change and baseline chronological and epigenetic age differences.
Results: In hierarchical linear regression, foods categorized as polyphenolic modulators of DNA methylation (green tea, oolong tea, turmeric, rosemary, garlic, berries) and labeled as methyl adaptogens in the original study were significantly associated with epigenetic age change (B = -1.21, CI = [-2.80, -0.08]) after adjusting for baseline epigenetic age acceleration and weight changes. Although intervention participants lost more weight than controls, weight change did not predict epigenetic age change in the regression models.
These findings indicate that higher consumption of foods termed methyl adaptogens may reduce markers of epigenetic aging, warranting further research in larger and more diverse populations with multiple epigenetic measures.