Introduction
As we age, our bodies naturally start to break down and show signs of aging. But did you know that the food you eat can have a major impact on how quickly you age? According to science, the number one cause of aging poorly is eating the wrong foods. Eating the wrong foods can lead to a variety of health issues, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. Eating the right foods, on the other hand, can help you stay healthy and look younger for longer. In this article, we’ll discuss the foods you should be eating to age gracefully, as well as the foods you should avoid. So if you want to stay young and healthy, read on to find out what to eat and what not to eat.
The #1 Cause of Aging Poorly, Says Science — Eat This Not That
As we age, our bodies naturally start to break down. But according to recent research, there is one major factor that can speed up the aging process: what we eat.
A study published in the journal Cell Metabolism found that a diet high in processed foods and sugar can accelerate the aging process. The researchers found that a diet high in processed foods and sugar can lead to a decrease in the production of a protein called sirtuin, which is responsible for regulating the aging process.
The researchers also found that a diet high in healthy fats, such as those found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados, can help to increase the production of sirtuin and slow down the aging process.
So if you want to age gracefully, it’s important to make sure you’re eating the right foods. Avoid processed foods and sugar, and focus on eating healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Your body will thank you!
All of us hope to age well. Many of us try to buy our way there, sinking significant amounts of our expendable income (and time) into anti-aging products, supplements, diets, and other regimens. The truth is, many of us doing things every day that age us less-than-optimally, and these patterns are easy to change. Read on to find out what science says about five causes of aging poorly, including the most common—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
Please don’t freak out. You might want to sit down for this. Chronic stress can cause unhealthy aging and even shorten your life. That’s according to Harvard Medical School, which reports that protracted stress can shorten telomeres, the structures inside each cell that contain DNA. Telomeres start out long and grow shorter as they age; when they get too short, they die. Not only is this the literal process of aging, people with shorter telomeres are at greater risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Alcohol dehydrates the skin and causes inflammation, two main factors of skin aging. If you habitually drink to excess, studies suggest you can expect to see more fine lines, wrinkles, redness, and puffiness. To keep yourself looking young—and to reduce your risk of cancer or heart disease—drink in moderation. Experts say that means no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women.
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If you don’t snooze, you risk losing your youthful glow. According to a study published in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, women who reported getting good quality sleep experienced 30% better “skin-barrier recovery” and “significantly lower intrinsic skin aging” than women who got poor sleep. Experts recommend getting seven to nine hours of quality sleep every night.
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Excessively exposing your skin to the sun causes a process called photoaging—literally, aging caused by light. Over time, sun spots and liver spots, freckles, wrinkling and sagging can develop. To protect against photoaging, apply a daily moisturizer that contains sunscreen. Choose one that’s at least 30 SPF and protects against both UV-A and UV-B light.
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“Findings from research studies suggest that a diet containing lots of sugar or other refined carbohydrates can accelerate aging,” says the American Academy of Dermatology. Not only can eating too much sugar prematurely age your body—it increases your chance of obesity and associated health problems like cardiovascular disease and diabetes—it can also directly age your skin. That’s why we’ve ranked it #1.
When consumed in excess, sugar binds to collagen and elastin, two proteins in our skin that keep it looking firm and young. This creates advanced glycation end products (aptly acronymed AGEs), which damage collagen and elastin and actually prevent the body from repairing them. And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don’t miss these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.