NutritionHealthy aging

5 unexpected ways your diet may be reducing your longevity

A poor diet could be shaving years off your life span. Here's how to build a better eating plan.


LearnLongevity5 unexpected ways your diet may be reducing your longevity
You don’t drink enough water
Your intake of dietary fat is out of balance
Your diet is over-processed
You go heavy on added sugar
You overdo happy hour

1 of 6

You probably know that your diet can seriously help—or hurt—your health, depending on what you eat. A diet rich in trans fats and saturated fats may raise your stroke risk, for example, and eating too much added sugar could increase your risk of death from heart disease, whether you’re overweight or not.

It's also important to note that a poor diet can have the effect of prematurely aging your body.

Before you overhaul your eating habits, take the RealAge Test. It measures the biological age of your body compared to your calendar age, based on a variety of lifestyle factors, including your diet. When you take the test, you’ll also get personalized tips for lowering your RealAge, like increasing your daily activity and building a diet that can increase your vitality and longevity.

Ready to switch up your dining routine?

Sources: American Heart Association. Trans Fats. ... + 35
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  23. MG Marmot, MJ Shipley, et al. Alcohol and Mortality: A U-Shaped Curve. The Lancet. March 14, 1981. Volume 317, Issue 8220, pages 580-583.
  24. EB Rimm. Review of moderate alcohol consumption and reduced risk of coronary heart disease: is the effect due to beer, wine, or spirits? BMJ. 1996;312:731.
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  28. Harvard Health Publishing. The Sweet Danger of Sugar. November 5, 2019.
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  31. Mayo Clinic. Nutrition and healthy eating: Alcohol use: Weighing risks and benefits. October 14, 2020.
  32. HT Lai, MC de Oliveira Otto, et al. Serial circulating omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and healthy ageing among older adults in the Cardiovascular Health Study: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2018 Oct 17;363:k4067.
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Written by Taylor Lupo.
Medically reviewed by Megan Burke, MD.August, 2024
Updated onSeptember, 2026
Written by Taylor Lupo.
Medically reviewed by Megan Burke, MD.August, 2024
Updated onSeptember, 2026
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