The Best Anti-Aging Diets, According to Science
The food that you eat can affect your health in various ways, including the fact that it can help to keep you looking youthful and feeling the same way. Now, researchers have determined which anti-aging diets work best.
In results that were published recently in the journal Science, researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle and Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, California, did a review of popular anti-aging diets—such as caloric restriction, ketogenic diets, and fasting, as well as protein and amino acid restriction—and found that they appear to be effective when it comes to their beneficial aims.
For instance, Science notes that "[r]educed caloric intake without malnutrition is the oldest known lifespan-extending intervention," and modern studies have "established and confirmed the benefits of caloric restriction" when it comes to "increased life span" as well as fewer instances of age-related disease and "functional decline."
Related: The Best Foods to Slow Aging After 50, Dietitians Say
When considering the findings, Melissa Mitri, MS, RD, of Wellness Verge, tells Eat This, Not That!: "Maintaining good nutrition alone can be effective in delaying the aging process." However, when it comes to specific anti-aging diets, the one "that is the most researched is a continuous calorie restriction, and while there is some promise into the anti-aging benefits of intermittent fasting, the research is still conflicting," Mitri says.
At the same time, restricting your diet too much isn't the way to go either as "it's still important to consume enough calories to fuel your body and provide energy," Mitri says. "In general, maintaining a healthy weight and not overindulging is the best way to go."
As for what foods possess anti-aging properties, Mitri suggests red bell peppers, berries, broccoli, leafy greens, nuts, avocados, sweet potato, and pomegranates.
Beyond your diet, Mitri suggests that "regular exercise—both physical and mental—helps keep you young. Reducing stress levels and maintaining social connections also help support healthy aging."
To find out more about what you can eat to keep you looking and feeling young, be sure to read 26 Best Anti-Aging Foods. Then, don't forget to sign up for our newsletter for more of the latest health and food news!
