[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]From Botox to anti-aging facials—and from extreme fitness regimes to plastic surgery—many people do plenty to appear younger than their years.
But there’s an enormous difference between
looking younger and gaining the physical health and vigor of an earlier generation. All of which begs the question: Can you slow your biological clock?
The short answer is yes, you
can delay the rate at which you biologically age, no prohibitively expensive skin creams required.
The longer answer is below. Read on as we dive into five savvy ways to press pause on the clock.
Chronological vs. biological age
First things first: What’s the difference between chronological and biological age?
Put simply, “chronological age” specifies the number of years you’ve been on the planet—aka, your
actual age. It’s set in stone and, even if you chose to ignore your last trip around the sun, it cannot change.
On the other hand, “biological age” refers to
the age of your cells, or, in other words, how well your body is working for your calendar age. You might have been born 53 years ago, but, thanks to smart lifestyle choices, stellar genes, access to superb medical care, a low-stress lifestyle, or pure luck, you might boast the cells of a 45-year-old.
The bottom line is this: Certain actions and life changes may have a direct impact on your biological age. In turn, you may “be,” feel—and yes,
look—years younger than the number on your birth certificate. Let’s dive in.
5 ways to slow your biological clock
Your chronological age informs a great deal, from your insurance premiums to the discounts you might qualify for (we’re looking at you, senior specials). And yet, a growing number of health experts insist that your biological age matters more, in large part because it can help predict your genuine wellness and vulnerability to a wide range of diseases and conditions like:
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
- Osteoporosis
- Diabetes
- Lung disease
- Cancer
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Cardiovascular disease
- Chronic bronchitis
To stave off these illnesses and rediscover your vitality, consider:
1. Refining your consumption of fruits and vegetables
We all know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is one of the keys to longevity.
Specific fruits and vegetables, however, may help you lower your biological age.
A recent study whose results were published in the journal
Aging focused on six women between the ages of 46 and 65, who went through
an eight-week challenge that included modifications to their diet, exercise routine, and sleep habits. Blood tests demonstrated that five of the women demonstrated a reduction in their biological age by 11 years, with the average participant experiencing a 4.6 year decrease.
Part of this may have to do with the fruits and vegetables they were instructed to eat daily. These included:
- Cruciferous vegetables
- Colorful vegetables
- Dark, leafy greens
Additionally, they were asked to eat foods that promote healthy DNA expression and methylation, a biochemical process that occurs a billion times a second in cells, such as:
2. Concentrate on your cardiovascular health
Another recent study out of Columbia University determined that people can slow their biological age by approximately six years by following
“Life’s Essential 8”—a set of guidelines, created by the American Heart Association, that may boost
cardiovascular wellness. Briefly, this includes:
- Consuming a diet brimming with whole grains, fruits and vegetables, healthy protein (such as from seafood and plants) and non-tropical plant oils.
- Obtaining at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, five days per week, and performing strengthening exercise—like weightlifting—twice a week.
- Quitting smoking.
- Aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
- Staying at a stable, healthy weight.
- Controlling cholesterol levels.
- Managing blood pressure.
- Managing blood sugar.
Sound straightforward enough? It is. But it also calls for effort and, you guessed it,
consistency.
3. Fill up on omega-3s
Mackerel, cod liver, oysters,
salmon, herring and sardines: If you’re a fan of seafood and eat it regularly, you may already
be at an impressive biological age.
According to research conducted by Japan’s National Centre for Global Health and Medicine, diets brimming with omega 3-dense seafood may lower mortality rates by as much as 15%.
How?
Omega-3s support a healthy inflammatory response, which organically promotes cellular health.
Not crazy about seafood—or happen to have an allergy to it? Raw nuts, seeds, avocado, omega 3-enriched eggs and
hemp seeds also boast impressive levels of omega 3s. Alternatively, you could opt for a supplement. One to add to your cart:
Vitacost’s Omega-3s. Derived from wild Alaskan salmon, it’s formulated with clean, superior ingredients
and vitamin D.
4. Manage your stress levels
Stress is an inevitable part of life. How you manage it, though, may be largely a personal choice—and handling what might come your way with smart coping mechanisms can reduce your biological age.
Indeed, a 2023 study featured in
Cell Metabolism found that
stress rapidly increases your phenotypical age.
How so?
Stress triggers a series of biological responses that can expedite cellular aging, primarily by:
- Prompting an uptick in the production of cortisol and adrenaline—two hormones that, in abundance, may cause inflammation and DNA damage
- Contributing to oxidative stress, which harms cells, proteins and, again, DNA
- Shortening telomeres, or the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes (and a telltale sign of premature aging)
Here’s the good part: Recovering from stress can urge these processes back towards their normal functioning.
To stave off stress and perhaps lower your biological age, consider:
- Finding joy on a daily basis, no matter if that’s with dancing, gardening, scrolling through funny memes, or savoring a cup of tea
- Obtaining restorative sleep (see a theme here?), which calls the body’s waste-removal system into action and decelerates the aging process
- Limiting alcohol consumption even when it may feel like the “cure” to relaxing after a long day
5. Prioritize your mental health
Interestingly, the researchers from Columbia who discovered that following “Life’s Essential 8” could reduce your biological age recently added a 9
th metric to the formula: Psychological well-being.
The study’s senior author asserted that “psychological health,” which includes finding and maintaining a sense of purpose and practicing optimism, impacted cardiovascular health, which is essential to slowing biological aging. Meanwhile, depression is associated with a greater susceptibility to heart disease. Other mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder and anxiety, may also
hasten one’s biological age.
Attaining
mental health varies from person to person. One may need professional counseling; another may benefit from joining a support group. The point is to discover what works for you so that you, too, can say “age is nothing but a number.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="179794" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1731769247964{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/snap-supplements-blood-sugar"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="179793" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1731769264094{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/pure-essence-labs-longevity-women"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="179795" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1731769279489{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/oceanblue-everyday-omega-minis"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
