Eastern healthy diet derived from regional food culture is associated with lower long-term health risks in Chinese adults
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GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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PUBLIC SUMMARY
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The Eastern Healthy Diet (EHD) is derived from the Jiangnan and Southeast Coastal Area (JSECA) of China.
The EHD features dietary diversity, plant-predominant, high-quality protein, and healthy cooking.
Higher EHD adherence was associated with lower obesity, central obesity, hypertension and long-term health risks.
The EHD provides a practical, evidence-based strategy for chronic disease prevention in China.
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ABSTRACT
Sustainable and healthy dietary patterns require alignment with regional food cultures to promote long-term adherence and health benefits. The Jiangnan and Southeast Coastal Area (JSECA) of China, characterized by its dietary health advantages and exceptional longevity, provides a compelling foundation for a culturally grounded dietary framework. Using data from the China National Chronic Non-Communicable Disease and Nutrition Surveillance (CNNHS 2015), a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 54,920 adults, this study derived the Eastern Healthy Diet (EHD) from the characteristic dietary patterns of the JSECA. The EHD was defined by high dietary diversity, high intake of dark-colored vegetables, other vegetables, citrus fruits, other fruits, aquatic products, poultry, and soy-based foods, and cooking methods that use less oil and salt. In fully adjusted logistic regression models, participants in the highest EHD tertile had had lower odds of obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71–0.82), central obesity (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.74–0.82), and hypertension (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.75–0.83) than those in the lowest tertile. In the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS 1989–2018), an independent prospective cohort, time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models showed that greater EHD adherence was associated with lower risks of selected adverse health outcomes. The EHD provides a practical, evidence-based strategy for chronic disease prevention in China.-
Keywords:
- Eastern Healthy Diet /
- Dietary Pattern /
- Obesity /
- Hypertension /
- All-Cause Mortality /
- Chinese
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He Y., Wang H., Fang Y., et al. (2026). Eastern healthy diet derived from regional food culture is associated with lower long-term health risks in Chinese adults. The Innovation Nutrition 1:100038. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-nutri.2026.100038
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He Y., Wang H., Fang Y., et al. (2026). Eastern healthy diet derived from regional food culture is associated with lower long-term health risks in Chinese adults. The Innovation Nutrition 1:100038. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-nutri.2026.100038
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Figure 1.
Distribution of EHD score in different areas
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Figure 2.
Associations of Eastern Healthy Diet (EHD) score with main health outcomes in China and different regions
