Scientists from Autonomous University of Madrid and collaborating institutions have found that a healthy plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of frailty in older adults.
The research, conducted by Mercedes Sotos-Prieto and colleagues, was published in The Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.
In medical terms, frailty refers to a condition affecting older adults that increases vulnerability to adverse health outcomes such as falls, disability, hospitalization, and the need for long-term care.
Dietary patterns rich in fruits and vegetables—such as the Mediterranean diet—have previously been linked to lower frailty risk. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, whole grains, fish, seafood, extra virgin olive oil, and moderate red wine consumption.
However, researchers note that not all plant-based diets are equally beneficial. Diets high in refined grains, sugary beverages, and processed foods may still be considered plant-based but offer fewer health advantages.
To better understand how diet quality influences frailty, researchers analyzed data from more than 80,000 women aged 60 and older participating in the Nurses’ Health Study. Participants were followed from 1990 to 2014, with dietary information collected every four years using detailed food questionnaires.
The team evaluated plant-based diet quality using two scoring systems:
- Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index (hPDI): Gave higher scores for consuming healthy plant foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils, tea, and coffee, while assigning lower scores for less healthy plant foods and animal products.
- Unhealthful Plant-Based Diet Index (uPDI): Assigned higher scores for less healthy plant foods such as refined grains, fruit juices, sugary drinks, potatoes, and sweets, while giving lower scores for healthy plant foods and animal foods.
Frailty was assessed every four years using the FRAIL scale, which includes fatigue, low strength, reduced aerobic capacity, multiple chronic illnesses, and significant weight loss.
Over the follow-up period, researchers identified more than 12,000 cases of frailty.
Participants with higher scores on the healthful plant-based diet index had a significantly lower risk of developing frailty. Specifically, a higher healthy plant-based diet score was associated with about a 15% reduction in frailty risk.
In contrast, higher scores on the unhealthful plant-based diet index were linked to an increased risk of frailty.
The results suggest that the quality of plant-based foods matters greatly. A diet rich in whole, minimally processed plant foods may help older adults maintain strength, mobility, and independence, while a diet high in refined and sugary plant foods may have the opposite effect.
Researchers conclude that adopting a healthful plant-based diet could be an important strategy for reducing frailty risk and promoting healthy aging.
Overall, the study highlights that simply following a plant-based diet is not enough—the types of plant foods consumed play a critical role in long-term health outcomes.
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