Life expectancy gain of implementing the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023: modelling from eight Nordic and Baltic countries (original) (raw)
Arjmand, Elaheh Javadi, Arnesen, Erik K., Haaland, Øystein Ariansen, Økland, Jan-Magnus, Livingstone, Katherine M., Mathers, John C., Celis-Morales, Carlos 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2612-3917, Johansson, Kjell Arne and Fadnes, Lars T.(2025) Life expectancy gain of implementing the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023: modelling from eight Nordic and Baltic countries.Current Developments in Nutrition, 9(2), 104540. (doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.104540)
Abstract
Background: Dietary guidelines play a key role in promoting health and preventing chronic diseases. The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 (NNR2023) provide updated recommendations for healthy eating relevant for the Nordic and Baltic countries, but the potential benefits have yet to be quantified. Objectives: This study projects the population health benefits, specifically, potential gains in life expectancy in Nordic and Baltic countries resulting from long-term dietary changes from current dietary patterns within each country to NNR2023. Methods: For this population-based mathematical model; using the Food4HealthyLife 2.0 calculator, data were obtained from meta-analyses on associations between each food group and mortality, and background mortality data were derived from the Global Burden of Disease study. Standard life-table methods were used, accounting for the correlation between 14 food groups and the anticipated time delay between dietary changes and health effects. Results: For 40-year-old females/males, projected life expectancy gains were from 1.8/2.1 years in Finland to 3.4/4.1 years in Lithuania, changing to feasible NNR2023. Correspondingly, when changing to full-potential NNR2023, gains ranged from 4.4/5.0 years in Finland to 6.1/7.3 years in Lithuania. The largest gains in life expectancy were linked to consuming more legumes (18%), nuts (17%), whole grains (12%), and less processed meat (14%) and added sugars (13%). Conclusion: Adopting dietary patterns in line with the NNR2023 is associated with considerable gains in life expectancy in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The study contributes to the evidence base to support policy measures to achieve NNR2023.
| Item Type: | Articles |
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| Additional Information: | Funding This work was supported by the Trond Mohn Foundation, grant number TMS2019TMT02. The hosting for the computations was performed on the Norwegian Research and Education Cloud (NREC), using resources provided by the University of Bergen and the University of Oslo (http://www.nrec.no/). The authors were funded by their respective institutions. The funders had no role in the study design, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. EJA was funded through Helse Vest on the ATLAS4LAR project. KML is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Emerging Leadership Fellowship [APP1173803] |
| Keywords: | Life expectancy, longevity, Nordic Nutrition Recommendations, dietary recommendations, Nordic 27 countries, Baltic countries. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Celis, Dr Carlos |
| Authors: | Arjmand, E. J., Arnesen, E. K., Haaland, Ø. A., Økland, J.-M., Livingstone, K. M., Mathers, J. C., Celis-Morales, C., Johansson, K. A., and Fadnes, L. T. |
| College/School: | College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health |
| Journal Name: | Current Developments in Nutrition |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| ISSN: | 2475-2991 |
| ISSN (Online): | 2475-2991 |
| Published Online: | 28 December 2024 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2024 The Author(s) |
| First Published: | First published in Current Developments in Nutrition 9(2): 104540 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a creative commons licence |
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Deposit and Record Details
| ID Code: | 344342 |
|---|---|
| Depositing User: | Publications Router |
| Datestamp: | 13 Jan 2025 13:24 |
| Last Modified: | 20 Jan 2025 10:30 |
| Date of acceptance: | 20 December 2024 |
| Date of first online publication: | 28 December 2024 |
| Date Deposited: | 13 January 2025 |
| Data Availability Statement: | Yes |