Can what you eat help you age gracefully?
It seems we're all trying to find the "magic bullet" that delays the natural aging process. Put an antiaging label on most any product, and it flies off the shelves.
Yet if you're trying to look your best without going under the knife, a secret ingredient might be right under your nose. Some experts say one answer to aging gracefully can be found in the grocery store -- in fruits, vegetables, green tea, and a host of other healthful foods that are rich in antioxidants and other potentially age-deterring compounds.
What Is Aging?
Of course, the signs of aging include not only wrinkles, but also memory loss, decreased brain function, and an increasing risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. Healthy aging is also defined as living a longer, healthier life. And many studies have documented the link between a healthy diet and prevention of age-related or chronic diseases.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity, adequate rest, avoiding tobacco, and a diet full of healthy foods and beverages can be the best defense against aging.
"Dietary choices are critical to delay the onset of aging and age-related diseases, and the sooner you start, the greater the benefit," says Susan Moores, RD, a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association.
Antioxidants and Inflammation
Some foods and beverages contain powerful substances called phytonutrients that some believe are capable of unlocking the key to longevity. Phytonutrients, which are members of the antioxidant family, gobble up "free radicals" -- oxygen molecules that play a role in the onset of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease.
As we age, we become more susceptible to the long-term effects of oxidative stress (a condition where the body basically has too many free radicals) and inflammation on the cellular level. The theory is that antioxidants and other age-defying compounds help cells ward off damage from free radicals and minimize the impact of aging.
Beyond antioxidants, some other compounds in foods can affect aging. They can be classified according to their impact on inflammation at the cellular level, experts say.
"All foods fit into three categories: pro-inflammatory, neutral, or anti-inflammatory," says dermatologist and best-selling author, Nicholas Perricone, MD.
Perricone says you can help to slow aging at the cellular level by choosing foods that are anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants.
"Age-related changes may be reversed by consuming foods and beverages that are rich in a variety of compounds, including antioxidants, and are anti-inflammatory, such as cold-water fish and richly colored fruits and vegetables," he says.
On the other hand, foods classified as pro-inflammatory can accelerate aging, Perricone says.
If "we eat large amounts of saturated or trans fatty acids, sugars, and starches, insulin levels surge and trigger an anti-inflammatory response and accelerate the aging process," says Perricone.
While the benefits to eating healthy are many, Perricone notes that diet is certainly not the only factor that affects the aging process.
"Stress, hormones, ultraviolet light, and a weakened immune system also contribute to aging," he says.
Still, making smart lifestyle choices are within your control, and are among the best things you can do to help prevent disease and retard aging.
source: www.webmd.com
Blog Archive
-
▼
2009
(2335)
-
▼
June
(295)
- rolls royce 2 door
- general yamamoto
- maybach two door
- bmw 46
- Jessica Alba Latest Hairstyles
- Paquin comfortable with nudity
- Is True Blood the New Twilight?
- Anna Paquin Ponders ‘X-Men: First Class’ Return — ...
- 2009 ktm atv
- land rover 4x4
- aston martin one 77 interior
- polaris xlt
- formula renault 3 5 world series
- Jessica Alba -- Off the Hook
- Jessica Alba Pays for Screwing with United Way
- JESSICA ALBA Shark poster charity donation
- Alba to star in 'Insiders'
- Jessica Alba: Strolling With Hubby and Daughter
- Jessica Alba & Robert Rodriguez Adapting French Co...
- jaguar new cars 2008
- plymouth arrow car
- 2001 daewoo nubira se
- king drawing
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- polaris 700 xc
- Megan Fox Dress
- Megan Fox Dress
- You could wear it as an open top
- jac jeep
- eagle talon tsi
- kymco global
- ford 1920
- Aimee Teegarden Does Ed Hardy
- Metro Station opening for Miley Cyrus during arena...
- Celebs Bag Green Beauty with Beautorium
- Call of the Wild
- mazda spyder
- Heidi Klum wraps her baby bun in designer tin foil
- Heidi Klum and Seal: Busy Day in LA
- Pregnancy is giving Heidi Klum “love handles”
- Heidi Klum's baby handles
- nissan navara 2008
- 99 plymouth neon
- polaris explorer
- eddie mercury queen
- lexus five axis
- samsung blackjack ii
- daihatsu g10
- roman religion
- chevrolet 2009
- peterbilt wings
- mbk slider
- 1986 oldsmobile delta 88
- toyota 1993 camry
- hercules spider
- jordan 12
- jeep katana
- honda z4
- volkswagen super beetle
- jaguar z4 conv
- 2008 land rover sport
- international 7800
- fiat factory
- roman 5th story
- alumni sma 70
- jaguar mouth
- proton lama
- unimog sale
- tata indigo marina
- zonda pink
- toyota hilux 2009
- yellow nissan xterra
- mazda 929
- Anti Aging Nutritional Products
- Best Anti Aging Skin Care
-
▼
June
(295)
No comments:
Post a Comment