Women who eat more fibre and high-quality carbohydrates in midlife are more likely to remain healthy in later life and avoid 11 chronic diseases, a study suggests. Researchers analysed the diets of more than 47,000 who took part in the US Nurses Health Study between 1984 and 2016.

They were asked about their diets, including intakes of different types of carbohydrates and fibre. Study leader Dr Andres Ardisson Korat, a scientist at Tufts University in Massachusetts, said: “We’ve all heard that different carbohydrates can affect health differently, whether for weight, energy, or blood sugar levels.

“But rather than just look at the immediate effects of these macronutrients, we wanted to understand what they might mean for good health 30 years later.

“Our findings suggest that carbohydrate quality may be an important factor in healthy ageing.”

The study found that women who ate more high-quality carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes were up to 37% more likely to experience healthy ageing.

Meanwhile a diet heavier in refined carbs from added sugars, refined grains and potatoes, or starchy vegetables, was linked to a 13% lower odds of healthy ageing.

Healthy ageing was defined as living to the age of 70 while remaining free of 11 chronic diseases or memory impairment, and with good mental health.

The list of diseases included cancer (except for non melanoma skin cancer), type 2 diabetes, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and Parkinson’s disease.

Dr Ardisson Korat said: “The primary high-quality carbohydrates were whole grains, whole fruits and vegetables and legumes.

“The reason is they have a lot of fibre and a lot more resistant forms of starches that break down more slowly in our bodies.

“Low quality carbohydrates included refined grains and added sugars.”

Study co-author Professor Qi Sun, from the departments of nutrition and epidemiology at T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said: “Our results are consistent with other evidence linking consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes with lower risks of chronic diseases, and now we see the association with physical and cognitive function outcomes.”

The findings were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.