Impact of Nutrition on Telomere Health: Systematic Review of Observational Cohort Studies and Randomized Clinical Trials.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Systematic review including observational cohort studies and limited randomized trials
PubMed 31688893 · doi:10.1093/advances/nmz107
What was done
The authors conducted a systematic review of human epidemiological cohort studies and randomized clinical trials investigating the effects of nutrients, food groups, and dietary patterns on telomere length.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical estimates or effect sizes. Qualitatively, antioxidant nutrients, fruit and vegetable intake, and the Mediterranean diet were primarily associated with longer telomeres, though the majority of evidence comes from heterogeneous observational studies with very few randomized clinical trials.
Why it matters
Telomere length reflects cellular aging and chronic disease risk. Identifying dietary components linked to telomere maintenance clarifies how nutrition may mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation to support healthy aging.
Limits
The abstract provides no sample sizes, study counts, or quantitative metrics. Most included evidence is observational and highly heterogeneous, with very few randomized controlled trials to establish causality.
Cited by
- supports Associative studies show that psychological stress, sedentary lifestyle, low vitamin D levels, low omega-3 levels, and high sugar intake correlate with shorter telomere length in humans.