The Study
Quality of plant-based diets and healthy aging: A community-based prospective cohort study.
This study looked at what people ate and whether they stayed healthy as they got older. It found that people who ate more sugary or refined plant foods (like white bread or soda) were a bit more likely to get sick or have trouble moving or thinking later in life. But it didn’t prove that those foods caused the problems — maybe people who ate those foods also did other unhealthy things.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Not all plant foods are equal—some, like sugary drinks and white bread, may hurt your health as you age, even if they’re plant-based.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 552 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes—this means choosing the right plant foods matters more than just eating plants; junk food plants still hurt your brain and body over time.
- 2People who ate more unhealthy plant foods (like sugary drinks and refined grains) had a 12% higher chance of aging poorly and a 46% higher chance of cognitive decline over 16 years.
- 3Eating healthy plant foods (like legumes and whole grains) showed no benefit in this study.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Clinical nutrition
Year
2025
Authors
Boeun Han, Chaeyoung Park, Yujin Lee
Related Content
Claims (5)
People who eat more healthful plant-based foods do not have a lower risk of unhealthy aging over 16 years compared to those who eat less, based on measurements using the healthful plant-based diet index.
People who consume more unhealthy plant-based foods like refined grains and sugary drinks over 16 years have a 12% higher chance of developing major chronic diseases, cognitive or physical impairments, or mental illness compared to those who consume less.
People who eat more unhealthy plant-based foods over 16 years have a 46% higher risk of cognitive decline, but their risk of mental illness is not significantly different from those who eat fewer unhealthy plant-based foods.
People who eat more unhealthy plant-based foods over 16 years have a 46% higher risk of cognitive decline, but their risk of mental illness does not change significantly compared to those who eat less.
People who eat more healthful plant-based foods over 16 years do not have better healthy aging outcomes compared to those who eat less, based on the healthful plant-based diet index.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.