A study conducted by Chinese scientists and published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition found that a varied diet reduces the risk of stomach ulcers among older adults.
اضافة اعلان
The researchers analysed data from 13,274 people over the age of 65, collected between 2008 and 2018. None of the participants had stomach ulcers at the beginning of the study. The researchers assessed dietary diversity across nine food groups and examined its impact on health.
The results showed that people who followed varied diets were 24% less likely to develop stomach ulcers than those whose diets included a limited range of foods. Meanwhile, each additional point on the dietary diversity scale was associated with an approximately 5.6% reduction in risk.
The association persisted after accounting for age, lifestyle, health status and other factors. However, the relationship was most pronounced during the early years of the study and was no longer statistically significant after three years of follow-up.
The researchers suggest that a varied diet provides the body with essential vitamins and nutrients that strengthen the immune system and help fight diseases, including infections caused by viruses and bacteria that may lead to stomach ulcers. However, the effect of dietary diversity may be short-lived. Therefore, they stress the importance of consistently eating a variety of foods, including meat, vegetables and fruit.
