Dietary patterns and biological age in Chinese adults aged 45+ (cross-sectional)
In a cross-sectional survey of 4,846 Chinese adults aged 45 and older, dietary pattern scores were associated with two biomarker-based aging measures; the study cannot show that diet caused these differences. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The cross-sectional study included 4,846 adults aged 45 and older from the 2009 China Health and Nutrition Survey. [1]
The Southern and Western-like dietary patterns were inversely associated with KDM-BA acceleration. [1]
The authors describe the findings as associations with healthy aging, not as causal effects. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Cross-sectional study (abstract).
- Population / context
- 4,846 Chinese adults aged 45 years and older in the 2009 China Health and Nutrition Survey.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 6, 2026
Diet scores and aging measures in 4,846 adults
The study used data from 4,846 adults aged 45 years and older in the 2009 wave of the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Three dietary patterns were derived from energy-adjusted food group intakes: a Southern pattern, a Western-like pattern and a Plant-rich pattern. Two aging measures were calculated from routine clinical biomarkers: Klemera-Doubal biological age (KDM-BA) acceleration and physiological dysregulation (PD). Linear regression examined associations between pattern scores and these measures, and restricted cubic spline regression checked for non-linear dose-response relationships.
Supporting source [1]
Southern and Western-like patterns linked to lower KDM-BA
The Southern and Western-like patterns were inversely associated with KDM-BA acceleration (β = -0.47, 95% CI: -0.70, -0.24 for the Southern pattern). For PD, only the Southern pattern was positively associated (β = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.03). The abstract reports a P value of 0.043 for one pattern and a non-linearity P value of 0.027 for one relationship, but the truncated text does not make clear which pattern each value belongs to. These are associations, not evidence that changing diet changes biological age.
Supporting source [1]
Cross-sectional design limits causal conclusions
The authors conclude that dietary patterns were differentially associated with KDM-BA acceleration and PD and suggest that specific patterns are associated with healthy aging in this population. Because the design is cross-sectional, diet and aging measures were assessed at the same time, so the direction of any relationship cannot be established. The abstract does not report how the patterns were scored in detail or how the biomarkers were selected.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The design is cross-sectional, so associations cannot establish causation or direction. The abstract does not report detailed scoring of dietary patterns or biomarker selection.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Zhu X, Hu L, Guo L, Chen S, Wu Q. · europepmc.org · August 6, 2026