Everyone wants to age a little slower, so what should we do? Buy expensive skin care products? Eat health products? Now there are studies that prove that eating three meals a day can delay aging!
What foods can you eat to make yourself younger and retain your healthy beauty?
Eating this kind of food regularly can really delay aging!
In January 2024, a study published in the journal Aging by Chen Xiaoli and Xingkang He from Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, showed that the intake of an antioxidant diet delayed biological aging, and the phenotypic age of the highest participants was reduced by 0.52 years compared with the participants with the lowest scores.
Screenshot of the study
So, how does an antioxidant diet delay biological aging? Researchers believe that antioxidants play a role in three main ways:
First, it reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, thereby protecting cells from damage;
second, it protects telomeres, slows down the rate of telomere shortening, and reduces the risk of cell dysfunction;
Thirdly, it affects the signaling pathways associated with the aging process and age-related diseases, thereby maintaining the body's healthy state. ①②
That said, an antioxidant diet helps to slow down biological aging. So, what exactly are the antioxidant foods?
Eat more according to the list!
1. Foods rich in vitamin A
Zuo Xiaoxia, director of the Nutrition Department of the Eighth Medical Center of the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, pointed out in an article in the Health Times in 2017 that vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E are known as the "iron triangle" of antioxidants, and these three vitamins must be guaranteed in order to delay aging. ③
Professor Ma Guansheng of the School of Public Health of Peking University introduced in an article in Health Times in 2021 that foods rich in vitamin A include animal liver, other organ foods, poultry eggs, fish oil, cream, and dairy products.
Foods rich in provitamin A include broccoli, pumpkin, carrots, pea sprouts, lettuce leaves, spinach, tomatoes, peppers and other dark vegetables, and fruits are rich in mangoes, oranges, persimmons, etc. ④
2. Foods rich in vitamin C
According to the official website of the Chinese Nutrition Association, vitamin C is involved in the metabolism of a variety of important substances in the body. For example, vitamin C is involved in collagen synthesis and participates in and promotes the hydroxylation process of cholesterol into bile acids. It also has an antioxidant effect.
Fruits with high vitamin C content include dates, citrus, and berries, such as prickly pear, fresh dates, sour dates, sea buckthorn, strawberries, oranges, oranges, and kiwifruit. Vegetables with high vitamin C content include bell peppers, kale, pea sprouts, chili peppers (green, sharp), cauliflower (cauliflower), sweet potato leaves, bitter gourd and broccoli.
3. Foods rich in vitamin E
In a 2017 interview with Health Times, Dr. Zuo Xiaoxia recommended 9 foods rich in vitamin E that are readily available on a daily basis. They are black sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dried walnuts, tempeh, yuba, pine nuts, thousand zhang, soybeans, and red beans. ⑤
4. Anthocyanin-rich foods
Wang Zhu, a researcher at the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an article in Health Times in 2019 that the antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins is comparable to vitamin C and vitamin E, which can help the human body resist oxidation and delay aging. Purple/blue fruits are rich in anthocyanins, such as mulberries, blueberries, Amazonberries, grapes, purple potatoes, etc. ⑥
5. Lycopene-rich foods
Wang Zhu said that red fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, strawberries, cranberries and cherries are rich in anthocyanins and lycopene. Lycopene is one of the strongest antioxidants known in nature. Moreover, in the case of tomatoes, the redder the color, the higher the content of antioxidant lycopene. ⑥
Health Times Chart
6. Foods rich in β carotene
Yu Kang, director of the Department of Clinical Nutrition of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, pointed out in an article on his personal WeChat public account in 2023 that β carotene has antioxidant properties. β-carotene is mainly found in orange-yellow or yellow fruits and vegetables, such as cantaloupe, mango, etc., among which, carrots are a very good choice. ⑦
7. Foods rich in soy saponins
Dietitian Qian Lixin pointed out in an article in the Health Times in 2019 that soybeans are rich in linoleic acid, which can prevent the synthesis of melanin, so it is also a "natural skin care product" for beauty. At the same time, the soybean saponins contained in soybeans can scavenge free radicals in the human body, thus playing an antioxidant role. ⑧
To delay aging, you should pay attention to these 3 points in your diet!
1. Drink enough water every day
In 2023, a research paper published in The Lancet found that insufficient water intake is a risk factor for accelerated aging and an increased risk of chronic disease and death. Among them, the investigators used the serum sodium level as the criterion of water adequacy, and the lower the water intake, the higher the index. ⑨
In other words, if you hydrate your body, you will have a lower risk of death and chronic diseases, and you will not be able to grow old easily!
2. Don't overeat
Huang Xiangrong, chief physician of the Department of Neurology of Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital in Zhejiang Province, said in an interview with Qianjiang Evening News that the more energy the human body consumes, the more free radicals are produced, and the faster the degree of aging of the human body. ⑩
3. The taste should not be heavy
In your daily diet, try to avoid strong flavors such as high salt, oil, and sugar, which are all important reasons for accelerating aging.
This article is synthesized from:
①He, Huiqin et al. “Composite dietary antioxidant index associated with delayed biological aging: a population-based study.” Aging vol. 16,1 (2024): 15-27. doi:10.18632/aging.205232
(2)2024-03-27International scientific "Research confirms: eating this kind of food regularly can really delay aging and reverse biological age!"
(3)2017-12-01Health Times "Why do you age faster than others?"
(4)2021-04-13Health Times "These problems are nutrient deficiencies"
(5)2017-01-13Health Times "9 Foods Rich in Vitamin E"
(6)2019-05-28Health Times "Four Colors of Fruits and Vegetables Antioxidant"
(7)2023-12-25Eat three meals a day
(8)2019-12-06Health Times "Soybeans are the king of beans"
⑨Middle-age high normal serum sodium as a risk factor for accelerated biological aging, chronic diseases, and premature mortality. Middle-age high normal serum sodium as a risk factor for accelerated biological aging, chronic diseases, and premature mortality. eBioMedicine, January 02, 2023
(10)2015-04-23Qianjiang Evening News "Eating seven or eight points full is the way to maintain health, satiety makes brain metabolism disorder"
Source: Health Times