26 anti-ageing secrets that could add years to our life

Yes, it is possible to take steps that will help you look younger, feel younger, and keep yourself in tip-top shape. What’s more, these steps may slow down the negative affects of ageing and even potentially add years to your life. Here are the expert secrets you need to know.

Check out these anti-ageing treatments doctors actually use.

Sugar is public health enemy No. 1 when it comes to ageing, says plastic surgeon, Dr Anthony Youn. “One study attributed 184,000 deaths each year to sugary drinks like soft drinks and cordial,” he says. “Not only do they increase your risk of [type 2] diabetes and being overweight, but the sugar in the drinks also can make you look older.”

Gluten-free diets are trendy, Dr Youn says, and for some people they make sense. About one per cent of the population has coeliac disease, a serious autoimmune condition in which gluten – a type of protein found in wheat and other grains – triggers an immune attack on the intestines. For those people, a gluten-free diet is essential to avoid malnutrition, fertility problems, osteoporosis and a host of other health problems. Other people can have a gluten sensitivity, “which can cause [gastrointestinal] distress, brain fog, weight gain and generalised inflammation,” he says. Inflammation is the smoking gun in a long list of diseases that can shave years off your life. That said, most experts do not recommend going gluten free unless you have to. Gluten-free diets can be expensive and also make it more challenging to get the nutrients that you need.

Colourful fruits and vegetables are chock-full of anti-ageing antioxidants – the valuable substances are in the actual pigments that make up the colour of these foods, Dr Youn says. “Eat a wide array of colours to improve your health and slow down the ageing process.”

Try these baby steps to ease into a plant-based diet.

Flossing your teeth daily will decrease inflammation in your gums, says author, Dr Michael Roizen. “Inflammation is one of the greatest causes of ageing; it’s linked to heart disease and stroke and impedes the immune system, which increases the risk of infection, cancer and brain dysfunction,” he says. “Gum disease is one of the biggest causes of inflammation that we have, but we can prevent it by flossing and seeing a dentist twice a year.”

Stress and stressors are everywhere. While that’s tough to change, you can shift the way you react. That’s key because not coping well with stress can take its toll on health and longevity, Dr Roizen says. “Learning how to manage stress with guided imagery, meditation, deep breathing, or another practice can add years to your life,” says Dr Roizen, who puts a finger on his belly button to feel it going in and out – and confirm that he’s taking deep breaths – when he’s combating the effects of stress.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a host of age-related diseases, many of which can shorten your life, according to 2018 research published in Aging and Disease. “Get your blood levels tested and supplement accordingly,” Dr Roizen says.

Read on to find out how to make vitamins and minerals work better for you.

Taking low-dose aspirin every day may reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack, but discuss with your doctor whether this therapy makes sense for you (it can also increase the risk of uncontrolled bleeds, or stroke). “We also know that daily baby aspirin reduces the risk of nine major cancers,” Dr Roizen says. While routinely recommended, you never start taking low-dose aspirin without consulting with your doctor first – the risks sometimes outweigh the benefits.

Drinking coffee or tea daily is associated with a lower risk of developing cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia and Parkinson’s disease. “Decaf has half of the effect, so caffeinated is better, especially if you are a fast caffeine metaboliser and don’t get headaches, gastric distress or heart palpitations from caffeine,” Dr Roizen says. “The more you drink without side effects, the greater the benefits.”

Jumping 40 times a day on a hard surface will strengthen your bones and spinal discs and decrease your risk of breaking a bone, Dr Roizen says.

Check out these beginner-friendly exercises you can do at home right now.

Make sure you are up-to-date on all of your shots and immunisations since this is the best way to keep your immune system in tip-top shape. Immunisations are especially important if you are one of the millions of people living with diabetes.

Sitting or being sedentary for long periods of time increases the risk for all sorts of diseases and conditions that can shorten lives, Dr Roizen says. “Don’t sit for more than two hours in a row, and walk at least two minutes every two hours,” he says.

Smoking tobacco is linked to a laundry list of diseases that will shorten your life, including cancer, heart disease and stroke. It’s not just cigarettes, either: vaping or spending time in hookah parlours is also dangerous, Dr Roizen says.

Here are some mind-blowing ways your body heals after you quit smoking.

Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of our chromosomes that dictate how long cells live. Short telomeres are linked to a host of age-related diseases and conditions, but a small study shows that positive changes in four key areas – your diet, exercise, stress management and social support – may lengthen telomeres, according to research published in The Lancet Oncology.

The anti-ageing Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats and lean protein: research published in Ageing Research Reviews in 2019 found that people who eat a Mediterranean diet have longer telomeres.

Don’t miss these amazing health and beauty benefits of olive oil.

People who have around one to two drinks a day appear to be less likely to develop dementia or suffer a premature death in comparison with people who don’t drink at all. But moderation is crucial, says Dr Roizen. Moderate alcohol consumption is defined as having up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men ­– that’s it. More than that erases the benefits, he says. Also, if you have a problem with alcohol, alcohol’s possible benefits in this area are not a reason to start drinking again, because the risks outweigh the benefits.

The top five food offenders are saturated fat, trans fats, added sugar, syrups and refined carbs. “By avoiding these five food categories, you can significantly lower your chances of disease and premature ageing,” Dr Roizen says.

Here are some fatty liver symptoms you need to watch out for.

Having a deeper meaning and purpose in your life encourages healthy choices and behaviours, according to a 2017 study in the Journal of Health Psychology. The researchers found that people with a higher sense of purpose were more likely to eat lots of vegetables, exercise, get good sleep and even floss their teeth.

Good sleep reduces stress and your risk of developing chronic health conditions associated with stress, says sleep expert, Dr Michael J. Breus. Poor sleep, however, sets us up for obesity and other diseases that can shorten lives.

Read on to find out how to get a better night’s sleep.

Take control of your health and ageing by learning these six numbers: how many kilojoules you need in a day, your waist size, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and morning pulse rate. Another good one to know? Your blood sugar. Tracking these numbers and keeping them in healthy ranges will tack years onto your life.

We live in a wonderful age in which there are countless screening tests for numerous deadly diseases and conditions – and they allow doctors to catch problems early when they are most treatable. Recommendations vary by age and other risk factors.

Here are some things to know about prostate cancer screening.

Of 100,000 women in the Women’s Health Initiative study, those with an optimistic outlook on life were 14 per cent less likely than pessimists to die during the study’s first eight years, according to the research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Learn the 10 things naturally optimistic people do every day.

Eating red meat is associated with a higher risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, diabetes, infections, kidney disease, and liver disease. On the other hand, eating white meat like fish and chicken reduces the risk, a 2017 study in the BMJ suggests. Although it’s often hard to determine if a specific food is the actual cause of a health outcome, many experts recommend limiting your intake of red meat, specifically if it’s processed or cured (think bacon and hot dogs).

Find out what happens to your body if you stop eating red meat.

Grandparents who care for their grandchildren live longer than grandparents who pitch in, according to a 2016 study in Evolution and Human Behavior.

Advanced glycation end products – AGEs – are chemicals found naturally in food such as aged cheese and meats and grilled or fried food. In some research published in Scientific Reports, people who follow a low-AGE diet have lower measures of cholesterol, inflammation and risk factors for diabetes.

Frequent blood donors live longer than people who don’t give blood, according to a 2015 study published in Transfusion. Blood donors are known to be healthier in general, but the researchers still found an added benefit from the act of giving itself.

Do you know your blood type? Here are some reasons for finding out.

“Super agers” have cognitive abilities that are on par with people decades younger than they are. Learn how to eat, exercise, socialise and more to become a super ager yourself.

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Source: RD.com