The Journal of nutritionApr 17, 2026

How Diet and Exercise Are Linked to Biological Aging in Working-Age Finns

Longevity & Aging Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Jun 27, 2026

Abstract

Essence

Healthier long-term diet was linked to slower epigenetic ageing, especially among people with low physical activity.

Evidence

Prospective population-based Young Finns Study analysis of 1,039 participants related diet indices over 17-32 years and physical activity to epigenetic ageing measures in 2011 and 2018.

Caveat

The findings are observational associations using diet questionnaires and epigenetic clocks, so they do not prove diet or activity caused slower ageing.

Simplified

BACKGROUND: The role of diet in epigenetic ageing over long follow-up periods and the possible moderating role of physical activity have remained unclear.

OBJECTIVE: We examined (1) whether dietary habits over follow-ups of 17-32 years are associated with level or change of epigenetic ageing over a seven-year follow-up and (2) whether physical activity moderates these associations.

METHODS: The prospective population-based Young Finns Study data (n = 1039) was used. Epigenetic ageing was measured in 2011 and 2018 using AgeDev, AgeDev, and DunedinPACE. Food frequency questionnaires were used in 2001, 2007, 2011 and 2018 to calculate five diet indices: Mediterranean Diet Index, Findiet Index, Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) Dietscore (additionally used in 1986) and Baltic Sea Diet Index. The applied physical activity index included e.g. frequency and intensity of exercise. Covariates included cardiovascular and metabolic factors, other health behaviours, and socioeconomic factors. Pheno Grim

RESULTS: More favourable scores in (1) all diet indices except Dietscore were associated with decelerated AgeDevcross-sectionally (β = -0.08 to -0.06, p = 0.003-0.022), (2) all diet indices averaged over follow-ups of 17-32 years were associated with slower epigenetic ageing in all three epigenetic clocks (β = -0.01 to -0.23, p = 2e-5-0.042), and (3) AHEI and Findiet index were most consistently associated with a decelerated change in AgeDevand AgeDevover a seven-year follow-up. Modest interaction effects were also observed: among those with high physical activity, epigenetic ageing was approximately similar irrespective of diet healthiness, whereas among those with low physical activity, more favourable diet index scores were associated with less accelerated epigenetic ageing. Grim Grim Pheno

CONCLUSIONS: Healthier eating over the follow-up was associated with decelerated epigenetic across different diet indices. In terms of biological ageing, having a healthy diet may be especially crucial for those with low levels of physical activity.