Fueling Our Bodies for Longevity Beyond Weight Loss

For some reason, the word aging has become a part of a horror story. No one wants to age, but it is a normal biological process that we all must go through. This week's blog post is all about aging with grace and taking away the negative connotation that comes with aging. Like it or not, the human growth period closes around the age of thirty and this is when the organic process of growing older begins and we will begin to see the effects of increased age. (Raymond et al., 2023) In 2023, the average lifespan in the United States was 78.4 years old and ranked 32^nd out of thirty-eight countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Clearly, we have some work to do. (IHME, 2024)

So, how do we know if we are aging poorly? Here are some examples. Long term use of pharmaceutical drugs, chronic, preventable disease, poor cognitive function, poor physical function, and poor wound healing could all indicate that we are aging poorly. This could be partly due to people not understanding how our nutritional needs change as we age. As we age, absorption, utilization, and excretion of nutrients is affected. This causes our bodies to need more or less of some nutrients. (Raymond et al., 2023) Some nutrients we need more of as we age are, protein, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Some nutrients we need less of as we age are calories in general, carbohydrates, and iron. (DeSilva et al., 2021)

You may be thinking if aging is inevitable, then how could we possibly age with grace? There are many different factors that play a role in whether we age poorly or not. Think about older adults you have encountered. Some are seventy and still doing everything they love to do, while others may have a loss of functions. Here are some factors that can potentially lead to poor aging or early mortality. Neglect in early life, oxidative stress, psycho-emotional stress, smoking, alcohol consumption, infections, little to no physical activity, poor diet, loneliness, and exposure to environmental toxins can all play a role in poor aging. (Raymond et al., 2023)

The good news is that since we know what can lead to poor aging, this also means we know what can help us age with grace. Back in 2004, Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Explorer and journalist, led an exploratory project. He explored regions of the world with reportedly high longevity, which means living not only a longer life, but a high quality of life as well. After analyzing demographic data, there were five regions that stood out. After discovering these five regions, he sought out to discover evidence-based common denominators among all the regions. He found nine, which include, moving naturally, having a purpose in life, routines to help unwind and destress, stopping eating when eighty percent full, eating mostly plants, drinking one to two glasses of wine per day, having a sense of belonging, putting family first, and finding a great support system. (Buettner, n.d.) Now that we have discovered common denominators that can help us age with grace, let’s dive deeper into them.

Let’s start with diet, so what we eat. In the Blue Zones, they eat 95% to 100% plant based with a low intake of eggs, meat, and dairy, a daily dose of beans, and wild caught fish that are low in mercury three times per week. They eat mainly whole foods that are not processed and one to two handfuls of nuts daily. They also drink mostly water with some tea, wine, and coffee and eliminate or reduce sugar to twenty-eight grams per day or less. (Buettner, n.d.) Here are some specific nutrients that we should also be sure to include as they can help us age with grace.

·       Omega-Fatty Acids:  Has been shown to be anti-inflammatory, heart healthy, and cardioprotective.

·       Coenzyme Q10: Has been shown to be a cellular antioxidant, protect cells from oxidative stress, increase energy production, and reduce cardiovascular mortality.

·       Quercetin: Has been shown to be an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, and anti-aging.

·       Zinc: Has been shown to be an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, improves efficiency of immune system, and critical for T cell response.

·       Vitamin D: Has been shown to be immunomodulatory, counteract inflammation, increase bone metabolism, and increase mitochondrial function.

·       Catechins: Has been shown to be an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, supports blood pressure, blood lipids, and body weight, and protects against cardiovascular disease.

(Raymond et al., 2023)

Next, let’s move into lifestyle strategies that can help us age with grace. In the Blue Zones, they focus on natural movement and spending time outside, such as gardening. There is a strong sense of community and meals are cooked and eaten together. They engage in regular relaxation and leisure activities and volunteer in their community. Their elders are valued and cared for by family members, and spirituality and religion are valued and practiced. By practicing these simple strategies, studies have shown that the effects of stress are not as severe because there is reduced stress-induced cortisol release. They also increase life satisfaction, self-esteem, and happiness, which leads to better mental and physical health. (Buettner, n.d.)  It is also important to avoid environmental toxins as often as possible. This could include getting natural cleaning products, natural beauty and personal care products, natural lawn care, glass containers for food, and stainless steel or glass water bottles. (Raymond et al., 2023)

The last thing we will review this week is supplements or nutraceuticals that you can take that also support healthy aging. Always remember two things. One, check with your doctor to ensure that it will not interact with any current medication you are taking. Two, supplements are meant to do exactly that, supplement. Aim to get all your nutrients from whole food sources when you can. The first supplement we will discuss is melatonin. Now, not all melatonin is created equal, so it is important that you buy the most optimal form of melatonin, and I recommend Symphony Natural Health. Melatonin has been shown to enhance mitochondrial function, which declines with age and scavenges free radicals. You can take it every night before bed. (Gimenez et al., 2022) Another supplement I recommend is Designs for Health CellGuard-NR. This supplement supports your body’s natural cellular repair and regeneration status, antioxidant status, health inflammation response, and energy production. It can help one retain healthy inflammatory responses, cardiovascular and metabolic health, and normal cellular function. It is recommended to take this twice a day with a meal. (Sharma et al., 2023)

Remember, aging is natural and happens to everyone. It is not a horror story and there is no reason to fear aging. There are plenty of steps we can take to ensure that we continue to age with grace.

Longevity Boosting Foods

References

Buettner, D. (n.d.) Power 9. Blue Zones. https://www.bluezones.com/2016/11/power-9/ 

DeSilva, D. & Anderson-Villaluz, D. (2021, July 20). Nutrition as we age: healthy eating with the dietary guidelines. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://odphp.health.gov/news/202107/nutrition-we-age-healthy-eating-dietary-guidelines 

Gimenez, V., Heras, H., Lahera, V., Tresguerres, J., Reiter, R. & Manucha, W. (2022, June 3). Melatonin as an anti-aging therapy for age-related cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9204094/ 

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. (2024, December 5). Increases in U.S. life expectancy forecasted to stall by 2050, poorer health expected to cause nation’s global ranking to drop. IHME. https://www.healthdata.org/news-events/newsroom/news-releases/increases-us-life-expectancy-forecasted-stall-2050-poorer-health 

Raymond, J. L., & Morrow, K. (2023). Krause and Mahan’s food and the Nutrition Care Process. Elsevier

Sharma, A., Chabloz, S., Lapides, R., Roider, E. & Ewald, C. (2023, January 14). Potential synergistic supplementation of NAD+ promoting compounds as a strategy for increasing health span. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9861325/