People don’t like to talk about aging because of its negative connotations. Words that come to mind when people discuss it are terms like sickness, chronic health problems, disability, and falls. No wonder we’re so reluctant to talk about the topic! Yet even the World Health Organization points out that up to 70% of the chronic health problems people experience as they age are preventable through lifestyle.
Causes of Aging
What about aging itself? According to the book called Evolutionary Biology of Aging, aging can be defined as, “a persistent decline in the age-specific fitness components of an organism because of internal physiological deterioration.” That’s a mouthful! No one knows what triggers this physiological deterioration. Theories include oxidative stress, shortening of telomeres, the decline in immune system function, inflammation, and more. But what causes aging is still a mystery.
Scientists divide aging into two types: primary aging and secondary aging. Primary aging is a deterioration in the function that occurs independently of influences such as lifestyle and environment. It’s the type of aging we have little control over as it comes from passing time and it impacts the body in a way we don’t completely understand.
However, the second component of aging, secondary aging, we have some control over. This type refers to the degradation of health that comes from underlying health problems and lifestyle choices. It’s no secret that people who engage in certain lifestyle habits, like smoking and excessive use of alcohol, age faster and are at higher risk of health problems. For example, smoking increases oxidative stress and that damages healthy cells and tissues. All it takes is a glimpse of a black lung to see the damage smoking can do and how it ages the body prematurely.
Can You Slow the Rate of Secondary Aging Through Diet?
You can’t stop the passage of time or impact primary aging, but the ball is more in your court regarding secondary aging. For example, chronic, low-grade inflammation contributes to aging. According to the National Institute on Aging, inflammation contributes to frailty, insulin resistance, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease Alzheimer’s disease and more. These are some of the most common diseases people develop later in life and ones that reduce life quality.
Oxidative stress also contributes to inflammation and aging. We can reduce oxidative stress by eating a diet rich in compounds rich in antioxidants, such as fruits, vegetables, green tea, nuts, and spices. We can further counter inflammation by adopting a Mediterranean-style diet. Studies show that adopting this diet reduces cardiovascular risk by 20%, cancer by 13%, and the odds of early death by 18%. These are some of the most common health problems that shorten lifespan. Plus, if the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of these diseases, it may also reign in inflammatory damage and “wear and tear” to organs and tissues that contribute to aging. Of all the eating styles out there, the Mediterranean diet has the most supportive evidence behind it.
Intermittent Fasting and Calorie Restriction
Another approach that may help slow the aging process is calorie restriction. Reducing calorie intake by up to 30% in animal models slows aging by reducing inflammation, lowering the level of IGF-1 (a contributor to aging), reducing insulin resistance, and by reducing levels of thyroid hormones.
Some studies also show that calorie restriction reduces markers of DNA damage and can boost the density of mitochondria, a cell’s energy producers, by up to 35%. In one study, researchers placed a monkey on a diet that contained 30% fewer calories and the monkey was still alive by the end of the study and is now the age equivalent for humans of 130.
Intermittent fasting, short fasts that last 16-24 hours are another approach scientists are studying for slowing aging. For many, this approach is more manageable since you can do a 16 hour fast by eating an early dinner and skipping breakfast the next day. Studies, including one published in the New England Journal of Medicine, show intermittent fasting may slow the rate of development of age-related diseases and the aging process itself.
Exercise
You’ve heard that exercise is good medicine and for good reason! Exercise slows aging at the cellular level by reducing shortening of telomeres, the tiny end caps on the tips of DNA that keep the chromosomes from breaking when they replicate. Studies link longer telomeres with greater longevity. Plus, it has an anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, strength training helps preserve muscle mass and strength for greater functionality throughout life.
Other Habits That Slow Aging
We mentioned how important it is to avoid smoking and overuse of alcohol. However, air pollution is a major contributor to mortality and aging too. In fact, it’s responsible for over 3 million deaths worldwide. Air pollutions increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, and asthma. When you’re exposed to particulate matter and ozone, it enters your lungs where it causes oxidative damage that ages lung tissue. One study found that each increase of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of fine particle pollution was equivalent to two years of lung aging. Both indoor and outdoor pollution are harmful.
Staying a healthy body weight is another way to slow aging. Fat cells produce inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that damage healthy tissues and increase the rate of aging. Getting enough sleep and having ways to reduce stress may also slow the aging process. If you’re concerned about skin aging, protecting your skin against the sun’s damaging rays is a smart strategy.
The Bottom Line
We don’t have complete control over every aspect of aging, but lifestyle does make a difference. Now you know what to do to help your body age slower and in the healthiest manner possible. We all want to age healthily, so we can continue to enjoy life even in old age. The best way to do that is through making lifestyle changes now.
References:
- Rose MR, Flatt T, Graves JL, et al. What is Aging? Front Genet. 2012;3:134. Published 2012 Jul 20. doi:10.3389/fgene.2012.00134.
- Rose M. R. (1991). Evolutionary Biology of Aging. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Endocrine Web. “Mediterranean Diet: Anti Inflammatory Foods Behind Health Benefits”
- Scientific American. “The Hunger Gains: Extreme Calorie-Restriction Diet Shows Anti-Aging Results
- National Institute on Aging. “Inflammation Plays an Important Role in the Aging Process”
- N Engl J Med 2019; 381:2541-2551. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra1905136.
- Park SY, Byun EJ, Lee JD, Kim S, Kim HS. Air Pollution, Autophagy, and Skin Aging: Impact of Particulate Matter (PM10) on Human Dermal Fibroblasts. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(9):2727. Published 2018 Sep 12. doi:10.3390/ijms19092727.
- com. “Air pollution speeds up aging of the lungs and increases chronic lung disease risk”
- com. “A lifetime of regular exercise slows down aging, study finds”
- com. “Exercise Prevents Aging of Cells”
- MedLine Plus. “Exercise and Immunity”
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