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Eating Right For Longevity
Is your diet the key to longevity? Find out why
eating right just may mean aging right, too.
By Elizabeth M. Ward
WebMD Feature
Aging: everyone does it, yet some
people seem relatively unaffected by getting older.
Could good nutrition be the key to a healthier,
longer life?
Does Aging Equal Illness?
"Aging is often associated with the development of
one or more chronic diseases, but it doesn't have to
be that way," says Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor
at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and
Policy at Tufts University.
It's
not always just a matter of time before you have a
heart attack or stroke, get type 2 diabetes or
cancer, break a hip because of osteoporosis, or
develop Alzheimer's, even though these conditions
are often associated with aging, Blumberg says.
Your
risk for disease and disability increases with
inadequate physical activity, genetic
susceptibility, and poor diet.
Aging: Defy It With Diet
So
what's the best eating plan for preventing, delay,
or minimizing the conditions associated with aging,
including inflamed joints, flagging memory, and
failing eyesight?
"The
most beneficial diets rely heavily on fresh
vegetables, fruits, and legumes -- foods that are
naturally lower in calories and packed with
nutrients," says Bradley Willcox, MD, MPH, co-author
of The Okinawa Diet Plan and professor of geriatrics
at the University of Hawaii.
Experts suspect the antioxidant compounds found in
produce, legumes, and whole grains are largely
responsible for holding back the march of time.
Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and other
compounds, including polyphenols and anthocyanins,
battle free radicals -- unstable forms of oxygen
that damage cell function. Free radicals form from
normal metabolism. Your body also produces them in
response to strong ultraviolet rays from the sun;
air pollution; smoking; and secondhand smoke.
The
buildup of free radicals contributes to the aging
process and to the development of a number of
age-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease,
and inflammatory conditions, including
osteoarthritis. What's worse, aging increases free
radical production. That means your diet should be
healthier than ever with the passage of time.
The
question, of course, is how do we do that?
Anti-Aging Nutrition
Antioxidants generate a lot of buzz when it comes to
longevity, but aging well takes more. You must
optimize a myriad of beneficial nutrients, including
protein, calcium, and vitamin D, and minimize
detrimental dietary components including saturated
and trans fats.
While none of these foods is the "Fountain of
Youth," including them on a regular basis as part of
a balanced diet can reduce the toll time takes on
your body.
Nuts
Nuts
are cholesterol-free protein sources, and are worthy
substitutes for fatty meats. Research published in
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found
that in a group of nearly 35,000 women, those who
ate foods rich in vitamin E, including nuts, lowered
their risk of having a stroke.
Top picks:
Almonds for their high vitamin E levels; pecans, for
their antioxidants; and walnuts, for omega-3s.
Tips:
Top
breakfast cereals, yogurt, salads, and cooked
vegetables with an ounce of chopped nuts.
Snack on an ounce of whole almonds (about 24) for
almost half the vitamin E you need for the day.
Enjoy a nut butter sandwich on whole-grain bread.
Concoct a smoothie by blending a medium frozen
banana, 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt, 1/4 cup
chopped walnuts, and 2 teaspoons sugar (optional).
Fish
According to the American Heart Association, fish
harbors omega-3 fats that reduce the risk of plaque
buildup in your arteries; decrease blood
triglyceride (fat) levels; help lower blood
pressure; and lessen the odds of sudden death. Fish
is a wise protein choice because of its relatively
low saturated fat and cholesterol content.
Top picks:
Salmon, sardines, and canned tuna are among the fish
with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
Tips:
Have
at least two fish meals a week instead of fatty
meats.
Add
canned light tuna or canned salmon to salads instead
of chicken or cheese.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated
fats and beneficial plant compounds. It's also free
of the trans fats found in some margarines and other
processed foods, and that's a good thing. A study
published in the journal Neurology found that among
healthy people 65 and older, the higher the
saturated and trans fat intake, the greater the
cognitive decline during a six-year period.
Top pick:
The
extra virgin variety. A recent report in the Annals
of Internal Medicine found extra-virgin olive oil
more beneficial than other types for increasing the
high-density lipoprotein levels (HDL or good
cholesterol) in men.
Extra-virgin olive oil also offers beneficial levels
of oleocanthal, a compound that mimics the effects
of anti-inflammatory medications including aspirin
and ibuprofen.
Tips:
It's
good for you, but don't go overboard; olive oil is
caloric. Limit total oil consumption to 7 teaspoons
daily (assuming all of the added fat you use is from
olive oil) on a 2,000-calorie diet; 5 for a
1,600-calorie plan.
Make
salad dressing with one part olive oil and three
parts balsamic vinegar.
Choose olive oil instead of butter or margarine.
Lightly coat chopped broccoli, sweet or white
potato, or carrots with olive oil and roast on a
baking sheet at 400 degrees until done.
Fruits
and Vegetables
Produce provides fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as
well as hundreds of anti-aging phytonutrients. When
it comes to age-defying properties, some produce is
better than others, according to the United States
Department of Agriculture's tests for antioxidant
activity.
Still, any fruit and vegetable is better than none.
People who take in the most produce -- upwards of 10
servings a day -- have higher levels of antioxidants
in their bloodstream, which probably translates to
better aging. Produce-lovers also have stronger
bones, thanks to the magnesium and potassium that
fruits and vegetables supply (dark greens are also
rich in vitamin K, necessary to bolster bones).
Top picks:
Fruit: Blueberries, cranberries, blackberries,
raspberries, strawberries, apples, and cherries.
Vegetables: Kale, spinach, broccoli, artichokes,
avocado, asparagus, cauliflower, sweet potato,
carrots, pumpkin, and onions.
Tips:
Include berries at least once daily on top of
breakfast cereals, in smoothies or salads, or snack
on them as is.
Add
dried cranberries or cherries to cooked whole
grains.
Make
a quick guacamole by mixing a ripe avocado and
large, diced tomato with 1 tablespoon each of olive
oil, fresh chopped cilantro leaves, and finely
chopped onions.
Prepare a pumpkin smoothie with 1 cup canned
pumpkin, 1/2 cup low-fat milk, and ground cinnamon
and sugar to taste. Heat the remainder of the can as
a side dish. Add chopped frozen kale or spinach to
soups and pasta dishes.
Legumes
Legumes are packed with complex carbohydrates and
fiber to ensure steadier blood glucose and insulin
levels, and they provide a cholesterol-free source
of protein. Legumes are also packed with
antioxidants.
Top picks:
From
black beans to soy beans, they're all good for you.
Tips:
Add
beans to soups, salad, egg and pasta dishes
Puree cooked beans (includes canned) and add to
soups or stews
Snack on bean dips and fresh vegetables or whole
grain crackers
Munch roasted soy nuts or thawed edamame (green soy
beans)
Substitute firm tofu for meat in vegetable stir-fry
dishes
Whole
Grains
Whole grains retain more of their natural nutrients,
particularly age-defying vitamin E, fiber, and B
vitamins, than refined varieties. They are also a
wealth of antioxidant compounds.
Top picks:
Quinoa, millet, barley, oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta,
cracked wheat, wild rice.
Tips:
Wrap
sandwiches in whole-wheat tortillas instead of white
Choose whole-grain cereal for breakfast and snacks
Try
wild or brown rice or whole-wheat pasta
Add
leftover cooked whole grains to soups
Low-Fat Dairy
Dairy foods are excellent sources of
bone-strengthening calcium. They also supply protein
that bolsters bones and muscle, and is needed for
peak immune function.
Top picks:
Milk, either 1% low-fat or fat-free. Milk is
fortified with vitamin D, necessary for calcium
absorption. Adequate levels of vitamin D may reduce
prostate, colon, and breast cancer.
Tips:
Sip
café au lait or cappuccino made from decaffeinated
coffee and fat-free milk
Make
mashed potatoes with fat-free evaporated milk
Enjoy a smoothie made with milk, berries, and
crushed ice
Indulge a chocolate craving with fat-free chocolate
milk
Fight Fat, Live Longer?
It's
not only what you eat when it comes to stalling the
aging process. Calories count, too.
"Being overweight stresses your heart, blood
vessels, and joints, accelerating age-related
diseases," says Willcox.
Excess body fat also plays a role in the development
of dementia, certain cancers, and eye diseases,
including cataracts and age-related macular
degeneration.
Cutting a few hundred calories a day from your
regular eating plan may be all it takes to make it
into your 80s or 90s in relatively good health.
That's what Willcox and his colleagues found when
they related eating habits to death rates among
2,000 nonsmoking men. In his study, the men who
consumed an average of 1,900 calories per day --
about 15% below the average for the entire group --
were less likely to die over the 36-year study
period.
Nobody knows exactly how a lower calorie diet works
to lengthen life. Perhaps the secret lies in a
slower metabolism that comes with eating less food.
A reduced metabolic rate means your body produces
fewer free radicals.
Calorie reduction plans also lower the body's core
temperature and insulin levels, two indicators of
longevity. A recent study in the Journal of the
American Medical Association found that overweight
people who cut their daily calorie intake by up to
25% were more likely to have a lower core body
temperature and normal fasting levels of insulin in
their blood.
Aging: We're all doing it. Perhaps combining a diet
rich in "anti-aging" foods with fewer calories
overall may help us do it better -- and live longer.
©
WebMD. All rights reserved.
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"Aging is often associated with the development
of one or more chronic diseases, but it doesn't
have to be that way" |
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