There are things you can do today to halt, or even reverse, the ageing process. Photo / 123RF
No matter how bad your lifestyle habits, it's never too late to start living healthily – and you could gain a decade in the process.
When a person reaches a certain age, it's understandable to assume our health is going in one direction – and it's almost certainly not a positive one. The route to old age seems carpeted with misery and indignity: heart disease, joint issues, cognitive problems. We go into "decline".
But a growing body of research is cheerfully proving this doesn't have to be the case. A major study this week suggests that switching to a healthier diet even in your sunset years can add a decade to your life. Last year, a study from Johns Hopkins University in the US tracked more than 6,000 people, aged between 44 and 84, for more than seven years: those who made good-for-you changes such as quitting smoking, following a Mediterranean-style diet, getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight decreased their risk of death in the time period by 80 per cent.
According to the landmark study published this week, scientists at the University of Bergen in Norway have shown that by ditching an "average" British diet – one that is high in processed foods, particularly red and processed meats – to an "optimal" diet high in grains, legumes and nuts, at the age of 60, can add almost 10 years to your life. Even making the switch at the age of 80 can add an extra three years to life expectancy, the researchers found.
So even if you've been living a highly processed life with very few greens, it might not be too late to make a change. "The Bergen research is absolutely sound new data from a large study," says Rose Ann Kelly, professor of medical gerontology at Trinity College, Dublin, and author of Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life.
This new research follows a 2016 study by the University of Glasgow that revealed eating too much red meat and not enough fruit and vegetables could increase the body's "biological age" and contribute to health problems. Scientists found that a moderate increase in levels of serum phosphate in the body, caused by red meat consumption and a poor overall diet, increases your biological age because of cellular damage.
"It's tricky to advise people exactly what to do during which decade [of life], as we vary so much in our backgrounds and general health," says Prof Kenny. "But what is true is that you can beat your chronological age by following behaviours that keep you biologically young.
"So, for example, I'd say that people in their 40s and 50s should concentrate on building solid friendships – we don't tend to meet new people later in life," she says. "For every year after the age of 60, aim to do slightly more exercise than you did the year before. And at all ages, try to restrict your calories – again, to a greater extent than when you were younger."
All these principles are true from the age of 60, even up to the age of 80 or 90-plus, says Prof Kenny. "In fact, just when people tell themselves 'it's too late' to change, it's absolutely the time when they need to start. Your body still has the ability to change and renew, even in your 60s and 70s – all the way up to your 90s, in fact.
"Interestingly, this new research chimes very much with what we've known for many years from the five 'blue' areas of the planet," she says. "Scientists have long identified the healthiest places to live – Okinawa in Japan; Sardinia; Nicoya in Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda in California. What these areas have in common is a diet high in fish, as they are all by the sea. The inhabitants also eat lots of plant-based foods and have de-stressing rituals built into their day."
While people have no choice over where they are born, the good news is that we can learn from the habits of the perennially young: there are things you can do today to halt, or even reverse, the ageing process.
Here, then, are seven things you can do in your 60s to guarantee yourself a longer life.
While Prof Kenny says there is not enough evidence that vegans outlive vegetarians, she agrees that one of the best things we can do to live longer is reduce or cut out red and processed meat and follow a Mediterranean diet.
"A host of studies confirm the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet of wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, seafood, beans, nuts and olive oil – with no sugar or saturated foods," says Prof Kenny.
"Processed meat, such as sausages and bacon, has been repeatedly shown to lead to faster ageing," says Prof Kenny. Research from China suggests these foods are leading causes of cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and neurodegenerative disease and that increasing total red and processed meat intake by 3.5 servings a week or more over an eight-year period is associated with a 10 per cent higher risk of death in the next eight years.
Processed meats can also interrupt the sleep pattern, as they contain high levels of tyramine, an amino acid which triggers brain alertness."
However, eating fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, or sardines are said to help prevent dementia, prostate cancer, and age-related vision loss.
Prof Kenny is a fan of calorie-restrictive dieting: lowering the number of calories you consume in a 24-hour period. She points to 2011 research from Newcastle University, led by Prof Roy Taylor, which helped revolutionise treatment for Type 2 diabetes after the groundbreaking study showed the disease could be reversed through rapid weight loss.
Until Prof Taylor's research was published, Type 2 diabetes was thought to be an incurable, lifelong condition: the patients in his study went on a restrictive diet and many no longer needed medication. "Eating all your meals in an eight-hour window can also be helpful, as it lowers blood sugar and lessens ageing inflammation," says Prof Kenny.
A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, into how post-menopausal women respond to time-restricted eating, showed that those who abstained from food for 16 hours, or from 8pm until noon the following day, showed a small improvement in body weight (3lbs) and fat mass compared with the control group.
Studies of the microbiome – the bacteria and other microbes that live in our gut – show that it is crucial to our immune system, heart and weight. "Research shows that it's possible to shift the diversity of gut microbiome within 72 hours of changing our nutritional habits, and you can do this at any age," says Prof Kenny. "Aim for a plate of highly-coloured food: raspberries, grapes and pickled foods such as sauerkraut or kimchi."
"Cutting your alcohol intake will keep you younger acutely – too much disrupts your sleep and lowers your mood – but also protects you from more chronic cellular changes that could lead to cancer, or affect your muscles and disrupt your balance," says Prof Kenny.
There's no need to go teetotal, however: "Health behavioural studies have shown the benefits of moderate drinking of red wine – no more than two glasses a day – and only with a friend. Never drink alone or you may find yourself consuming more."
First-stage alcohol-related liver disease is entirely reversible after just two weeks. Abstaining from alcohol for this period gives the liver time to recover, reduce fatty deposits and stop the inflammation – as long as you stick to government guidelines of no more than 14 units a week, spread over a few days, with two or three consecutive alcohol-free days.
Getting active in midlife could be as good for you as starting young when it comes to reducing the risk of an early death, according to a 2019 study by National Cancer Institute in the US. But benefits decline once you stop exercising.
"If you maintain an active lifestyle or participate in some sort of exercise over this window of time [from youth to middle-age], you can extend your life expectancy," says Dr Pedro Saint-Maurice, lead author of the research from the National Cancer Institute in the US. "If you are not active, and you get to your 40s-50s and decide to become active, you can still enjoy a lot of those benefits."
The type of exercise you do is also important, however. "Most people know the benefits of aerobic exercise, but resistance exercise (with weights) is just as important in keeping bones and muscles strong," says Prof Kenny. Research from Australia and Nigeria has shown that spending just three seconds a day on an "eccentric" bicep curl – slowly extending a free weight down below your waist – can lead to significant strength improvements.
When it comes to aerobic exercise, aim for more than 150 minutes a week. Brisk walking is perfect – and, says Prof Kenny, "never sit still for more than 45 minutes at a time".
As we age, our sleep pattern changes. Our nights are more disrupted, we sleep for shorter periods and wake earlier. It's not surprising then, that we feel the urge to take more naps. "It's fine to take a nap for a maximum of 20 minutes, but never after 3pm or it will disrupt your circadian rhythm," says Prof Kenny. "This will sap your energy, and make you feel far older." Sleep deprivation is entirely reversible: have a run of good nights, and your wellbeing will return.
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