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In general, people who eat a healthy diet give themselves a significantly better chance of avoiding some major diseases than those who don't. The Nordic diet, also known as a northern version of the Mediterranean diet, is a healthy, sustainable way of eating based on traditional foods of countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. It includes plant foods and berries, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and fatty fish.

Proponents say a Nordic diet can lower the risk of chronic health conditions, and previous research has shown it can improve short-term liver health. But do these benefits translate into long-term protection against severe liver disease and, ultimately, longer lives?

To find out, researchers led by Michael Fridén at Aarhus University in Denmark delved into 24 years' worth of dietary and health data from more than 64,000 Swedish adults in two major population studies.

Participants had completed food questionnaires at three points over the 24 years to detail their eating habits. The study team cross-referenced their answers with hospital stay records, outpatient care records, cancer registries and death registries. This allowed them to see who developed serious liver conditions, like cirrhosis or liver cancer, or died during the 24-year period.

Then, using advanced statistical techniques, the researchers simulated what would have happened if everyone in the study had followed modified versions of the Nordic diet or official regional dietary guidelines over those 24 years.

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