Do you know that the foods you eat can help you look and feel younger? Well, we will all age beyond some point, but it is still possible to delay aging process by taking care of your skin and body, healthy lifestyle, and consuming antioxidants- and nutrients-rich foods which possess anti-inflammatory properties. It is important to keep in mind that none of the foods are miracle cure, however, they will assist you to age well.
There are 5 superfoods that are known to help restore youthfulness and allow you to stay younger longer. The benefit of these foods is manifested in healthier heart, stronger bones, smooth skin and beautiful hair. Each of these foods have different paths of action though which they rejuvenate you.The best part is that these foods are easily available and can be nicely incorporated in your healthy meal plan. As a side note, if you have sensitivities to any of these foods listed below or have health constraints, that should certainly be taken in to account when you are shopping. Lastly, eating these foods alone won’t do much magic. They are to be consumed as part of a balanced healthy diet.
- Pomegranates
Many people ignore pomegranates due to perceived difficulty of cutting them. It is time to dump the excuse sand indulge in sour-sweet taste of this juicy fruit.
For those interested, here is a video on how to skillfully open the fruit:
Eating pomegranates is one of the ways to hold off aging and appearance of wrinkles. Packed with antioxidants, pomegranates can help you fight off the sun damage to your skin. They contain ellagic acid, which helps slow the breakdown of collagen which is needed to keep your skin looking youthful (Bae, 2010).
Consuming pomegranates not only helps the skin but also may be beneficial for sharper memory. A study conducted in California, USA, which tested the effect of consuming 8 ounces of pomegranate juice during 4 weeks period on memory in middle-aged and older adults with mild memory complaints, suggested that pomegranates may have a beneficial role in improved memory (Bookheimer, 2013).
- Green leafy vegetables
Spinach, kale, and collard have myriad of vitamins and minerals which are excellent for weight loss and overall health. Rich in nutrients, green leafy vegetables not only protect you against inflammation but also have anti-aging benefits. For example, spinach contains vitamin K, which prevents aging-related bone loss. Daily intake of green vegetables is effective for maintaining bone mass (Fujii, 2009) and may protect against osteoporosis (Weaver, 1992).
- Extra-virgin olive oil
There is a good reason why olive oil has become extremely popular among fitness enthusiasts and those on Mediterranean diet. Extra virgin olive oil, due to monounsaturated fats content and phenolic compounds (polyphenols) that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, is associated with a reduced risk of developing aging-associated chronic degenerative disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease and even cancer (Santangelo, 2017). Moreover, olive oil consumption may improve cognitive function as you get on in years (Valls-Pedret, 2015).
- Fatty fish
Fish is an excellent source of protein for those on a healthy diet. It is also an excellent food known for it’s anti-aging benefits. Fatty fish, such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines, contains omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation and improve cognitive function (Freitas, 2017). You need to keep in mind that source of fish is very important due to possible mercury or other environmental pollutants content. Chose wild caught fish from clean and safe waters.
- Green tea
Green tea as a healthy beverage has been increasing it’s popularity all over the world. It has numerous benefits for overall health, but most importantly, it helps to slow down aging process. Green tea polyphenols prevent the negative effect of sun damage on skin and may even assist in preventing UV-induced skin cancer (Sharma, 2017). Regular green tea consumption was found to be protective against frailty in women (Kobayashi, 2014). Research has also shown that green tea catechins stimulate muscle regeneration (Kim, 2017).
Read here about the benefits of green tea for weight loss.
References:
Bae, Ji‐Young, Jung‐Suk Choi, Sang‐Wook Kang, Yong‐Jin Lee, Jinseu Park, and Young‐Hee Kang. “Dietary compound ellagic acid alleviates skin wrinkle and inflammation induced by UV‐B irradiation.” Experimental dermatology, no 8 2010: e182-e190.
Bookheimer SY, Renner BA, Ekstrom A, Li Z, Henning SM, Brown JA, Jones M, Moody T, Small GW. “Pomegranate juice augments memory and FMRI activity in middle-aged and older adults with mild memory complaints.” Evid Based Complement Alternat Med., 07 22, 2013.
Freitas HR, Ferreira GD, Trevenzoli IH, Oliveira KJ, de Melo Reis RA. “Fatty Acids, Antioxidants and Physical Activity.” Nutrients, 11 20, 2017.
Fujii H, Noda T, Sairenchi T, Muto T. “Daily intake of green and yellow vegetables is effective for maintaining bone mass in young women.” Tohoku J Exp Med., 06;218(2) 2009: 149-54.
Kim AR, Kim KM, Byun MR, Hwang JH, Park JI, Oh HT, Kim HK, Jeong MG, Hwang ES, Hong JH. “Catechins activate muscle stem cells by Myf5 induction and stimulate muscle regeneration.” Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 07 22, 2017.
Kobayashi S, Asakura K, Suga H, Sasaki S. “Inverse association between dietary habits with high total antioxidant capacity and prevalence of frailty among elderly Japanese women: a multicenter cross-sectional study.” J Nutr Health Aging, 11 18(9), 2014.
Santangelo C, Vari R, Scazzocchio B, De Sanctis P, Giovannini C, D’Archivio M, Masella R. “Anti-inflammatory activity of extra virgin olive oil polyphenols: which role in the prevention and treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases?” Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets, 11 13, 2017.
Sharma P, Montes de Oca MK, Alkeswani AR, McClees SF, Das T, Elmets CA, Afaq F. “Tea polyphenols for the prevention of UVB-induced skin cancer.” Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed, 10 16, 2017.
Valls-Pedret, Cinta, Aleix Sala-Vila, Mercè Serra-Mir, Dolores Corella, Rafael de la Torre, Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, Elena H. Martínez-Lapiscina et al. “Mediterranean diet and age-related cognitive decline: a randomized clinical trial.” JAMA internal medicine , no. 7 2015: 1094-1103.
Weaver. “Calcium bioavailability and its relation to osteoporosis.” Proc Soc Exp Biol Med, Jun 1992: 157-60.
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