Magnesium2026-05

Early Biomarkers, Risk Factors, and Functional Indicators of Healthy Longevity and Their Relationship with Diet.

Martini Daniela, Rondanelli Mariangela, Morelli Lorenzo, Landi Francesco — Nutrients

Summary

This comprehensive review explored how diet and specific nutrients contribute to maintaining health and function as we age. It found that a high-quality diet, rich in plant-based foods and key nutrients like magnesium, is consistently linked to better heart health, brain function, and physical abilities, helping to prevent age-related decline. The study suggests that eating well from an early age can support a longer, healthier life.

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Key points

Eating a high-quality diet, especially one rich in plants, is crucial for healthy aging.
Key nutrients like magnesium, omega-3s, and fiber are linked to better heart, brain, and muscle health.
Many people have nutrient gaps, often due to not eating enough plant-based foods.
A balanced diet supports various aspects of health that contribute to a longer, healthier life.

What the study looked at

This review aimed to understand how diet and specific nutrients influence early indicators and risk factors for healthy longevity, meaning not just living longer but staying healthy and functional throughout life. Researchers conducted a comprehensive review of existing scientific literature, including observational studies, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analyses. They looked for connections between dietary patterns (like Mediterranean and plant-based diets), energy balance, gut microbiota, and various health markers such as body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose levels, sleep quality, physical activity, and cognitive performance. The review consistently found that overall dietary quality and getting enough nutrients are strong predictors of good health outcomes. Specific nutrients, including magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and vitamins, were linked to better heart, metabolic, brain, and muscle functions. Many people showed common nutrient deficiencies, often due to diets lacking sufficient plant-based foods. The study highlighted that an integrated diet emphasizing whole, plant-rich foods supports multiple aspects of healthy aging.

Dietary takeaway

To support healthy aging, consider increasing your intake of magnesium-rich foods like leafy greens, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes. While this review highlights the importance of a nutrient-dense, plant-focused diet for overall health, remember that individual studies provide pieces of a larger puzzle and more research is always ongoing.

Abstract

Healthy longevity depends on not only lifespan but also the maintenance of physiological, metabolic, physical, and cognitive functions throughout aging. Identifying early determinants of health is crucial for preventing age-related decline. This narrative review aims to synthesize current evidence on how diet and specific nutrients relate to these early risk factors and indicators of healthy longevity. A review was performed to identify the links between dietary factors, energy balance, and gut microbiota composition and normal body weight; blood cholesterol, pressure, and glucose; healthy sleep; an active lifestyle; and normal physical function and cognitive performance. Particular attention was given to Mediterranean and other plant-based dietary models as sources of key nutrients. Evidence from observational studies, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analyses was considered. Across all markers, dietary quality and nutrient adequacy emerged as consistent determinants of health outcomes. Key nutrients were associated with favorable cardiometabolic, cognitive, and musculoskeletal functions, such as omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamins D and B, minerals like magnesium and potassium, and polyphenols. Common nutrition gaps included insufficient intake of fiber, unsaturated fats, and micronutrients, which was often linked to a shift toward less plant-based diets. Gut microbiota diversity may mediate several of these associations, influencing metabolism, inflammation, sleep quality, and cognitive performance, although inter-individual variability and causal pathways remain incompletely understood. An integrated dietary approach emphasizing the consumption of whole and plant-rich foods, with moderate amounts of animal foods, supports multiple early markers, risk factors, and indicators of healthy longevity. The modulation of the gut microbiota through plant-based diets and fermented foods represents a promising strategy for maintaining health across aging trajectories.

View on PubMed →DOI: 10.3390/nu18111664