Japanese Dietary Patterns and Long-Term Mortality

1. Japanese dietary patterns were associated with lower mortality

Greater adherence to all four Japanese dietary patterns was associated with a lower risk of death from any cause in both men and women.

For the traditional Japanese pattern, people with the highest adherence had approximately 9% lower risk of death in men and 18% lower risk in women compared with those with the lowest adherence.

2. Cardiovascular mortality was also lower

All four dietary patterns were associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

This was one of the clearest findings of the study.

3. Reducing salt may strengthen the Japanese dietary pattern

The researchers also examined a modern Japanese pattern with less salty food and with coffee and dairy products.

In men, this pattern showed particularly favorable results.

Those with the highest adherence had approximately 17% lower risk of death from any cause and 27% lower risk of cardiovascular death compared with those with the lowest adherence.

The study does not prove that this version is better than the traditional Japanese diet. However, it highlights excess salt as an important consideration.

4. The findings did not extend to cancer mortality

None of the Japanese dietary patterns was significantly associated with overall cancer mortality after adjustment for other health and lifestyle factors.

The findings therefore should not be interpreted as showing that a Japanese diet protects against every major cause of death.

There may not be one universal diet for longevity.

The Japanese dietary pattern looks quite different from the Mediterranean diet.

It includes rice, fish, soy foods, vegetables, seaweed, mushrooms and green tea. The Mediterranean diet uses a different combination of foods.

Yet both dietary patterns have been associated with favorable long-term health outcomes.

This suggests an important principle.

Healthy eating can take different forms across cultures.

Rather than copying one named diet, the broader goal is to build a nutritious dietary pattern that can be maintained over many years.

Traditional diets can also be improved. In the Japanese pattern, reducing excess salt may be particularly important.

This was a large study with almost 19 years of follow-up, which makes it valuable for examining long-term outcomes.

However, it was an observational study.

It shows an association, not proof that the Japanese diet itself caused people to live longer.

Diet was also measured at one point in time. Eating habits may have changed during the following years.

People who followed the Japanese dietary patterns more closely also differed in some other health behaviors. The researchers adjusted for many of these differences, but they cannot be completely eliminated.

Finally, the study was conducted in Japan. The results cannot automatically be applied to every population.