Overview

Globally, there is a shift in the ageing population. The number of individuals living beyond 60 years of age is increasing, raising the burden of poor health. Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and depression are all disorders of ageing.¹

Humanity’s quest to slow the pace of ageing has made us look for ‘The Elixir of Youth’. Here we will discuss the pursuit of this legendary dream to drink water from the eternal fountain of youth.

Research has revealed that the quality of our diets plays an important role in ageing. Before we discuss the diet we should take to slow the pace of ageing we should get to know all about the components of the diet and their role in the proper functioning of the body. 

Dietary components

Macronutrients²

Carbohydrates include oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and monosaccharides. These macronutrients (e.g., sugar and wheat) essentially provide us with energy.

Proteins are complex molecules in the body, made up of smaller molecules called amino acids. Proteins contribute to the growth and repair mechanism of body tissues. We can obtain proteins from eggs, pulses, and meat.

Fat helps us maintain body temperature, protects organs from shock, and is also a source of energy. There are different kinds of fat, including saturated, unsaturated, and trans-fat. Some fats, like saturated and trans-fats, increase the ‘bad’ cholesterol levels (i.e., low-density lipoprotein; LDL) in our blood. High levels of LDL increase the risk of arterial blocks. On the other hand, unsaturated fats reduce LDL, thus, preventing atherosclerosis and artery blockage

Fibre is found in all the fruits and vegetables we eat raw, and it prevents constipation and improves bowel functions.

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. Vitamins aid the body in its various functions. They may be fat or water-soluble. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble while B and C are water soluble.

Vitamin A is found in carrots, and it can prevent diseases like night blindness (nyctalopia). Green leafy vegetables contain vitamins E and K. Vitamin C is found in all citrus fruits and prevents diseases like scurvy.

Minerals such as sodium and potassium, help with fluid balance and the conduction of nerve impulses in the body. Iron aids blood formation. Other minerals such as calcium and phosphorus play a crucial role in the health of our bones and teeth.

Processed vs whole food diet

• Processed foods have extended shelf lives.
• Processed foods are energy-dense and provide high calories, high fats, salts, and sugars.  
• However, processed foods contain additives, this is true for cakes, biscuits, and other canned goods. Also, cakes and fizzy drinks have empty calories and no nutrients.
• Whole food is natural food with no additives. It includes grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, legumes, eggs, fish, and meat.

A balanced diet is key to good health, as the intake of processed food increases the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular (heart) disease

Causes of ageing

Ageing is a progressive and time-dependent loss of function. Ageing is not genetically determined, it occurs due to cumulative damage to a cell’s macromolecules, like those involved in building and repair of cell structures.

Free radical theory of ageing (FRTA),⁵ also known as the oxidative theory of ageing, suggests that oxidative damage to macromolecules, caused by an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants, leads to ageing.

Free radicals are reactive and unstable molecules which are by-products of normal metabolism or are produced by exposure to toxins in the environment. Free radicals have unpaired electrons and thus are unstable. They take electrons from biomolecules to gain stability and damage them. The lifespan of free radicals is only seconds, during which they damage DNA and lipids in cells, which can cause cell mutations, heart diseases and cancer. Antioxidants in foods, such as those present in lemons, oranges and pineapples neutralise free radicals.

The metabolism of sugars, aldehydes, and errors in biochemical processes play a part in the formation of free radicals, which in turn accumulate, causing damage to biomolecules and ultimately leading to age-related diseases and ageing. For our body to function, a balance between antioxidants and free radicals is needed. If our body is not able to deal with free radicals, oxidative stress occurs.

How to slow ageing?

Finally, ageing has been decoded and we have found the elixir of youth. Even though we cannot reverse time, living a healthy, longer life is possible. Slow ageing aims to improve people’s quality of life through improvements in our physical and mental health.

Nutrition: fuelling your body

Ageing 

The cumulative destruction of macromolecules like DNA, RNA, and lipids that make up cells causes ageing. Nutrition can reduce the damage to macromolecules as it has the potential to repair the tissues and cope with the damage. An antioxidant-rich diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables, omega-3 fats found in nuts, and fish or meat, prevents ageing.

Calorie restriction 

Starch and sugar, when restricted, can increase our lifespan and reduce the occurrence of age-related diseases.

Intermittent fasting could also help us restrict calories. Intermittent fasting approaches include:

1. Alternate day fasting – which consists of eating as normal one day and missing the meal the next day, or taking one small meal to provide a low yet safe number of calories (about 500).
2. Eating for 5 days a week and fasting 2 days a week.
3. A time-restricted daily fasting i.e. taking food at particular times only.

Nutritional intake

If the mother is undernourished, the food that a developing foetus receives is suboptimal. This affects the long-term health of the individual. This can even contribute to the child developing age-related diseases.³

The mediterranean diet

A Mediterranean diet prevents ageing. Below is a basic outline of a Mediterranean diet. 

• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Aim to eat 2 to 3 servings of fruit and more than 4 servings of vegetables, each day
• Eat whole grains
• Use unsaturated fats from plants (e.g., olive or avocado oil)
• Eat unsalted nuts
• Replace butter with olive oil, canola, or sunflower oil. Olive oil and nuts are unsaturated fats which lower the levels of total cholesterol and LDL(the bad cholesterol)
• Eat seafood, for example, salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, and anchovies, as they contain omega-3 fatty acids
• Eat dairy products such as skimmed milk-fat cottage cheese and yoghurt in moderate amounts
• Reduce red meat consumption
• Add spices to boost flavour and lessen the salt intake. It is advisable to use ginger and pepper to reduce sugar and salt in daily eating
• Seafood, seeds, nuts, and legumes have healthy fats, including the polyunsaturated kinds
• Omega-3 is unsaturated fat. It lowers immune system action and inflammation in the body also reduces triglycerides. These fats reduce the risk of stroke and heart failure

Lifestyle: habits to embrace and avoid

Healthy ageing involves developing and maintaining functional ability for well-being. Beyond the diet, lifestyle also contributes to an improved trajectory of healthy ageing.

Quit unhealthy habits

Giving up smoking and alcohol contributes to a healthy lifestyle.

Junk the junk food

The problem of obesity that we face today is caused by several factors. It pushes us towards heart disease and diabetes. As we continue to juggle our fast-paced lives junk food becomes the order of the day.

Junk food may fill our stomach for that time but does not give a feeling of satiety. Over a while, we eat more and end up being overweight and exceed the recommended daily calorie intake often.

Stress and sleep

Stress situations generate stress responses. Stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, are released into the bloodstream when we are stressed; this prepares the body for a fight-flight, or fright response. High-stress results in a vicious cycle in which stress hormone levels rise, potentially leading to anxiety and depression - which in turn leads to frustration and chronic stress, factors which exacerbate ageing. 

A good night’s sleep of 6 to 7 hours for AMABs and 8-10 hours for AFABs provides the body an opportunity to repair and rejuvenate.

Practising mindfulness; yoga and meditation also helps reduce stress and ageing.

Improving your immune system

As an infant the first diet a child receives from the mother that improves immunity is colostrum. As we mature our body requires additions of different foods to boost our immunity. We need more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from raw fruits and vegetables. Dairy products like yoghurt contain bacteria that improve the gut flora. Fruits-pomegranates, lemons, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, avocados, dates, pineapples, kiwi, bananas. Vegetables-green leafy vegetables, broccoli, beetroot, garlic. Drinking water- Taking 2-3 cups of water empty-stomach followed by 3 to 4 litres during the day keeps us hydrated, flushes out toxins, and strengthens the immune system.

Physical activity: declining the decline

Exercise is a key feature in fighting disease and ageing. All efforts to concentrate only on diet may not yield the desired results to prevent ageing. Ageing is a complex process involving genetics, lifestyle and diseases, these factors interact with each other to determine how we age. Active participation in mild to moderate age-specific exercise is crucial for healthy living.

Cultivating relationships

Cultivating meaningful relationships with the community, and having friends to share joys and sorrows delay ageing by keeping the brain enriched.

The present and future: prevention is better than cure

As Hippocrates said - ‘Let thy food be thy medicine and the medicine be thy food’. We can harness the power of antioxidants, omega-3, and other ingredients to promote healthy living. In the pursuit of longevity and vitality in health, a diet, healthy lifestyle and physical activity are of paramount importance. With shifting paradigms, we prioritise wholesome diets over pharmaceuticals.

FAQs

Does a healthy lifestyle slow ageing?

Yes, having a healthy diet, being active, quitting smoking, sufficient sleep, and maintaining healthy body weight, sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol have been shown to slow ageing.

What is the DASH diet?

DASH stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension. It is a flexible and balanced eating plan for an eating style for a healthy heart.

It focuses on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and includes fat-free or low-dairy products, fish, poultry, and nuts. It limits high sodium salt foods, high sugar, and saturated fat.

How are DASH and the Mediterranean diet different from one another?

Both diets are healthy and have very little difference between them. They are as follows:

Summary

A healthy diet provides proper digestion, detoxifies cells, and inhibits biochemical reactions.

To slow the pace of ageing we need to concentrate on the diet we take. It should not only be a balanced diet but a diet rich in legumes, non-refined cereals, green leafy vegetables, and moderate amounts of dairy products.

Consumption of salty and sugary diets should be avoided. Fish protein should be consumed regularly for proteins such as red meat. This kind of diet was prevalent in the Mediterranean region and so it is defined as a Mediterranean diet. Additionally, our diet, physical activity, human connection, reaching out to others, and mindfulness, help us stay young.