From your skin to your brain, your diet can have a big impact on all aspects of your health. As the saying goes: in many ways, you really are what you eat.

And now, new research has proven just how deep the link between our diet and health goes. The study – based on the results of more than 2,000 middle-aged adults in the United States – found that eating a healthy, balanced diet can deliver a health boost equivalent to walking an extra 4,000 steps a day.

As those of us who took up walking in lockdown can testify, that’s not a number to be sniffed at. So, what’s the deal? As part of the research, the study’s authors asked the participants to answer a series of questions about their diet, followed by a test of their oxygen consumption while riding an exercise bike. 

They then measured the participants’ diets against two measures – the Alternative Healthy Eating Index and the Mediterranean Diet Score – which are both associated with heart health and are dominated by vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts legumes, fish and healthy fats. They’re also diets low in red meat and alcohol.

In the end, the results were clear – even when considering other factors that might be involved such as age, sex and everyday activity levels, those who had a higher rating on the dietary scales performed better on the oxygen consumption test. In fact, their intake of oxygen was often about 5% greater than the average. 

“This study provides some of the strongest and most rigorous data thus far to support the connection that better diets may lead to higher fitness,” said Dr Michael Mi, one of the study’s authors.

“In middle-aged adults, healthy dietary patterns were strongly and favourably associated with fitness even after taking habitual activity into account.”

Of course, it’s worth noting that those who move more may be inclined to eat a better diet, so more research is needed to confirm the link highlighted by this study. It’s also important to remember that a healthy diet, no matter how beneficial, cannot completely replace the cardiovascular benefits that come from regular exercise. 

However, if one thing’s for sure, this research is another reminder of just how big an impact our diet can have on our overall health. 

Image: Getty