Leung CW, et al. - In a nationally representative sample of healthy adults, researchers compared the associations between four evidence-based diet quality indices and leukocyte telomere length. They also investigated the impact of gender on these associations. They used the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to obtain data for adults, aged 20-65 years, with no prior diagnosis of major chronic disease. They compared the top and bottom quintiles after adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics and found that higher Healthy Eating Index-2010, AHEI-2010 scores, Mediterranean Diet scores, and Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) scores were each associated with longer telomere length in women. These data may offer a better understanding of the complex links between optimal nutrition and longevity.