“Age is opportunity no less than youth itself” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Understanding the Aging Process
What is Aging Scientifically?
Aging is a complex process of molecular and cellular decline affecting tissue function over time, leaving organisms frail and susceptible to disease and death.1 Because of the breakdown in molecular and cellular function, aging is associated with increased risk of metabolic disorders such as being overweight, obesity, insulin resistance, type-II diabetes mellitus (T2DM (type-II diabetes)), atherosclerosis, and cancer.2 Ultimately, aging is a progressive functional decline leading to exponentially increasing new cases of and the number of chronic age-related diseases (cancers, diabetes (DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), etc) and mortality.3
What role does Inflammation play in aging?
What is inflammation? Inflammation is a response to tissue injury from a variety of factors including environmental, trauma, pain, infection, overuse, and toxicity.4 What diseases are caused by inflammation? Inflammation is responsible for a myriad of disease processes. For the sake of living a longer, vibrant life, we will focus on cancer and CVD.4 Inflammation is observed in diseases such as atherosclerosis from elevated cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins (LDL (bad cholesterol), Metabolic syndrome, and T2DM. Inflammation is also detected in diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and certain cancers such as breast cancer, liver, lung, colorectal, endometrial, and ovarian cancers.4
The Importance of Brain Health in Healthy Aging.
The biggest concern to longevity in terms of the brain is dementia (when people lose their memory and eventually how to function). Currently, 50 million people live with dementia. By 2050, over 130 million may be affected by dementia. It costs the world $1 trillion to care and aid those with dementia.5 Which is part of the reason there’s so much research going into dementia and why it’s important to take care of our brain health as we age.
When people turn 40 yo, their brain undergoes changes. Such changes include: brain shrinkage, 5% per decade after age 40.6 This shrinkage of the brain can happen faster after 70 years old.7 Other brain changes occur in the blood vessels: there is inflammation (swelling) of the arteries and arteriosclerosis (when arteries become thickened and stiff). Eventually, these changes along with other breakdowns in tissue function lead to neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia, stroke, etc.6 These changes can impact our thinking, memory, learning, and decision making over time7.
Telomeres, the Small but Important Role They Play in Longevity
Telomeres make up the ends of chromosomes (our genetic material that allows us to function when working properly); making our genetic material stable.8 Telomeres are like the caps or aglets of a shoelace. When this “cap” or aglet is removed the shoelace disintegrates or breaks down.9 Similarly, the cell containing the genetic material will eventually stop dividing when the telomeres become short enough. This is known as senescence.8 The amount of cells that reach senescence increases as we age.
As we age, our telomere length becomes shorter and shorter. Maintaining the lengths of telomeres is associated with longevity.10 Because telomere maintenance is important for living a longer, vibrant life, the enzyme telomerase that creates telomeres is just as important.8 Telomeres (the “caps” of our genetic materials) and telomerase (the enzyme that builds the “caps”) are immensely important in biological aging as well as degenerative diseases.8
Telomere length and telomerase help determine how long a cell will live. Together they help with healthy cell function and long-term immune function.8 The telomere length of leukocytes (cells that help fight infection) have an association with health and physical ability. However, there was no link found when it came to cognition (the ability to think, learn, and understanding our environment).3
Disease States We Want to Protect Our bodies From as we Age
What are the conditions we want to build a healthy life against?
- Cancer, CVD, dementia, hypertension (HTN), osteoporosis, and stroke 10
- Neurological diseases, Type-2 DM 8
Pillars of a Long and Healthy Life.
Lessons from Blue Zones
In 2016, Dan Buettner and Sam Skemp completed research on certain regions in the world where people reached the age 100, 10x faster than the United States. These regions of the world have been called Blue Zones (regions where people live the longest).11
There are 5 Blue Zones: (Blue Zones)
- Okinawa, Japan
- Sardinia, Italy
- Nicoya, Costa Rica
- Icaria, Greece
- 7th Day Adventists, Loma Linda, California, USA11
The Power 9
There is a common lifestyle among centenarians in these Blue Zones. There are 9 common habits also known as the Power 9 11:
- Move naturally
- This means they put themselves in a position where they are required to move.11 This would look like parking further away from the store, gardening, walking to certain destinations, taking power walk breaks, etc.
- Have a purpose
- Why do you wake up in the morning?
- Downshift
- Having a routine to de-stress or decompress from stress. Taking moments to remember your ancestors. Praying, Taking a nap, Happy hour
- 80% rule
- Eating until you are 80% full. Eating the smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening and not eating anymore for the rest of the day
- Plant slant (meaning their diet lean more towards plants)
- Having diets made up of mostly vegetables.
- Beans were heavily utilized: Fava, black, soy; Lentils
- Meals with meat are eaten about 5 times/month
- Was mostly pork
- Wine @ 5*
- Drink moderately (1-2 drinks per day) with friends and/or with food.
- This is not practiced among 7th Day Adventists in Loma Linda, CA, USA
- Belong
- Belonging to a faith based community
- Attending 4x/month
- Denomination didn’t make a difference in longevity
- Loved ones first
- Put their families first
- Commit to a life partner
- Invest in their children with time and love
- Keep aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home
- Right Tribe
- To choose or be born into social circles that support healthy behaviors/habits.11
Nutrition for a Longer, Vibrant Life
Anti-aging diets
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet is originally from the Crete island of Greece, Greece itself, and southern Italy.12 This diet also known as the MedDiet -is a plant based diet with lots of consumption of nuts, olive oil, and red wine (unique compared to other diets), with low amounts of red meat.12 A diet heavy with red meat is associated with inflammation.13
Ancel Keys made the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) mainstream in 1960. This diet is special because eating all of the components of the diet together are synergistic.12 Meaning together they provide a better impact on peoples’ health compared to incorporating only one aspect of the diet. Another example of something being synergistic is fire and gasoline. When fire and gasoline are combined, together they produce an even larger fire. It’s the same with the Mediterranean diet. Eating the plants, nuts, olive oil, red wine, fish, and decreased amounts of red meat provide a synergistic improvement in nutrition and subsequently health.
The MedDiet was found to decrease cardiovascular risk factors and new cases of diagnosed CVD. Those diagnosed with T2DM, Metabolic Syndrome, obesity, cancer, and cognitive decline had improved health outcomes. There was decreased mortality associated with CVD12 and reduced risk of dementia.13 There has been a link between leukocyte telomere length (which is important for longevity) and maintaining a MedDiet.13
DASH Diet
The DASH diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). It was created by the National Institute of Health (NIH). This diet focuses on nutrient-dense food such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products.14 Together, these foods lower blood pressure. The DASH diet has been found to reduce the rate of new cases of diagnosed heart failure in people who are less than 75 years old, decreased mortality in men, and reduced LDL (bad cholesterol).14 When the DASH diet is combined with decreased salt (sodium) intake, it is linked to decreased bone turnover leading to improved bone health.14
MIND Diet
The MIND diet was developed to preserve brain function during aging. This diet is the combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets.15 The components of the diet are:
- Fish -provide omega-3 fatty acids which are building blocks for neurons (brain cells).
- Leafy greens, whole grains, and poultry keep homocysteine levels stable.
- To prevent damage to arteries, and prevent cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative conditions.
- Berries and vegetables provide polyphenols and antioxidants; while nuts and olive oil provide Vitamin E. Together these components of the diet provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties along with vascular health-boosting qualities.
Specific diets like the MIND, MedDiet, and DASH diet vs a single nutrient or food is best because the nutrients in these diets act synergistically as well.15
The MIND diet has been found to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia). As far as protecting cognition -research results are mixed. The MIND diet worked for some experiments but not all and it might be population specific.15 The fact that the MIND diet may be population specific, highlights the importance of research in all dietary patterns native to different cultures.
- Ex: In a Swedish population, the Nordic dietary pattern was shown to better protect against cognitive decline than the MIND diet
Bible Diet of 7th Day Adventists (Vegetarian Dietary Pattern)
The diet of 7th Day Adventists was studied. They were self described as vegan (plant-based diet without eating any meat or animal by-products like eggs or milk), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (plant-based diet without eating any meat), pesco-vegetarian (plant-based diet with the consumption of fish), semi-vegetarian (plant-based diet with the consumption of non-fish meat 1x/month and all meats no more than 1x/week), and nonvegetarians.16 An important fact about this study is that it involved African-Americans as well. The study found the following: having a vegetarian diet led to decreased mortality compared to nonvegetarians, associated with
- decreased cardiovascular mortality,
- lower noncardiovascular and non-cancer mortality
- mostly these findings benefitted men.
- no reduction in cancer mortality was found;
- decreased risk in GI cancers and female-specific cancers. (39)16
7th Day Adventists do not consume alcohol. This is amazing because not everyone can consume alcohol for various reasons. 7th Day Adventists prove that people can achieve a longer, vibrant life without the consumption of alcohol.
The role of antioxidants, polyphenols, and omega-3s.
Antioxidants
There is an oxidative damage theory of aging: free radicals and reactive oxygen species damage biomolecules. This damage accumulates leading to aging and age-related diseases. Because of this, many believe antioxidants can increase how long we live (longevity) and how long we live healthily (healthspan).17 Studies in animals have shown an increase in average lifespan when treated with antioxidants; however maximum lifespan was reached only a few times. Some studies showed antioxidant intake decreased the lifespan in some animals.17
Consult with your doctor before taking antioxidant supplements because at high doses and/or taking them for a long time can have negative consequences for your health.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant. They are known for having anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic (carcinogens are toxins that cause cancer), and antioxidant qualities.13 Polyphenols are found in fruits (leaning towards red/purple in color), vegetables (red onions and vegetables are that dark green), chocolate, teas (green and black), curry, legumes (beans and peas), extra virgin olive oil, red wine, and coffee. They have been shown through research in animals and humans to fight against many conditions associated with aging. Such conditions are:
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- CVD
- Gut microbiome conditions
- T2DM
- Liver Diseases
- Cancers13
Plant-based diets and drinks are rich in polyphenols. It’s best to eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables a day. By choosing to consume a diet rich in polyphenols, there is a reduction in oxidative stress (oxidative stress ages tissues) and stem cell function improves.13
Omega-3s and the Heart
Omega-3s are found in fish oil. They have historically been known to decrease the risk of heart attack since the 1940s when first described in a group of Greenland Eskimos. Omega-3s work by decreasing triglyceride levels, blood pressure, improve artery function, are anti-inflammatory, and much more.18
Research has shown that to get the benefits of omega-3s in protecting against CVD, the dose is important. 1-2 g/day was found to have a beneficial effect in those with already healthy diets and therefore higher baseline omega-3 concentration in their bodies in Japan and Italy vs 4g/day was found to have a healthy benefit against CVD in Americans who are likely to have a lower baseline omega-3 concentration.18 However, people can change their diets to naturally increase the amount of omega-3 concentration they have in their bodies over time.
Which fish do I eat to get Omega-3s?
- High levels of Omega-3s
- Salmon, sardines, trout, Albacore tuna
- Herring, Mackerel
- Low levels of Omega-3s
- Tilapia, Catfish, lobster, shrimp, cod, scallops, and mussels
- Seafood to avoid because of mercury
- Shark, swordfish, King Mackerel, tilefish18
Omega-3s can be plant based however, the levels obtained from them would be low and not suffice to reduce CVD (but can still be part of a healthy diet). It is recommended to consume 8 ounces of non-fried fish per week which is about 2x/week.18
Omega-3s and the Brain
DHA (a type of omega-3 fish oil) is important for brain development in babies but also for brain function in adults and as we age. This critical type of fish oil helps with neuroinflammation.5
Eating fish decreased the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by 70% in those >55 yo. In those >65 yo, there was a 40% reduction in AD risk, when people ate fish more than 2 times per week. Even eating fish 1x/week was found to have a 60% reduction in the risk of developing AD in people 65-94 years old.
Omega-3 supplementation is beneficial in those who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI).5 This is when the person knows their memory is not as good as it used to be.
Supplements
Omega-3 EPA + DHA : EPA and DHA are types of omega-3 fish oils. Supplements that have this listing have a higher concentration of EPA and DHA, needed for the benefits of the heart and brain vs regular omega-3 supplements which have EPA and DHA just at lower amounts.
Conclusion
Aging is inevitable, but how we age is largely influenced by the choices we make every day. From protecting our telomeres to fighting inflammation through diet, movement, and mindset, science shows that a longer, vibrant life is not only possible—it’s within reach. By adopting lessons from the world’s longest-living communities, embracing plant-forward diets like the Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets, and nourishing our minds and bodies with antioxidants, polyphenols, and omega-3s, we can age with strength, clarity, and purpose. Let aging be a journey of opportunity, resilience, and vitality—not decline.
- Takeaways
- Healthy aging is when you’re able to age/get older without the following conditions:
- Cancer, CVD, dementia, hypertension (HTN), osteoporosis, and stroke
- Neurological diseases, Type-2 DM (diabetes)
- Healthy aging is when you’re able to age/get older without the following conditions:
- Small, sustainable steps toward a longer, vibrant life
- Small sustainable steps include
- Walking. It’s simple, easy, and you can start small
- Decompress/Downshift. Hang out with friends/family and make sure it’s enjoyable. Don’t make it a dumping session. Pray or meditate. Journal to release emotions which may or may not be intense and to process emotions as well.
- Eat more fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, etc.
- Small sustainable steps include
- Call to action:
- Which longevity habit will you try to incorporate into your life?
Previous Post
Longevity, its definition, and why you should care now?
References
1. Carmona JJ, Michan S. Biology of Healthy Aging and Longevity. Published online 2016.
7. Peters R. Ageing and the brain. Postgrad Med J. 2006;82(964):84-88. doi:10.1136/pgmj.2005.036665
17. Varela-López A, Romero-Márquez JM, Navarro-Hortal MD, et al. Dietary antioxidants and lifespan: Relevance of environmental conditions, diet, and genotype of experimental models. Exp Gerontol. 2023;178:112221. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2023.11222118. Elagizi A, Lavie CJ, O’Keefe E, Marshall K, O’Keefe JH, Milani RV. An Update on Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Health. Nutrients. 2021;13(1):204. doi:10.3390/nu13010204
18. Elagizi A, Lavie CJ, O’Keefe E, Marshall K, O’Keefe JH, Milani RV. An Update on Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Health. Nutrients. 2021;13(1):204. doi:10.3390/nu13010204