Can you change your age?
A new study shows that older adults can reduce their biological age in just four weeks with simple dietary changes. Previously, there has been observational data in communities that have been referred to as the Blue Zones. These are five regions in the world where people live long, healthy lives, often to the age of 100, at ten times the rate of adults in the US. These regions in Japan, Greece, Costa Rica, Italy as California have nine common lifestyle habits, and when it comes diet, they all prefer plants. Their diets are 90-95% plant based and with an emphasis on beans!
New research from the University of Sydney has added some more scientific evidence to the longevity puzzle. They took 104 adults, between 65-75 years old, that were eating a standard omnivorous diet and analyzed 20 biomarkers that are indicators of health and biological age. These are considered to be more useful than chronological age when it comes to predicting longterm health and lifespan.
What is biological age?
Your biological age is an indicator how well your body is functioning. It is personal and is dependant on factors like lifestyle, stress and disease. Some of the measurements included cholesterol, insulin, and C-reactive protein.
What did they measure?
They randomly divided the adults into four dietary groups. All the diet plans had 14% of their calories from protein. Two diets were omnivorous, with 50% of the protein coming from animal sources and 50% from plants. The other two were semi-vegetarian diets, with 70% of the protein came from plants.
They further divided the participants into either a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet or a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. Resulting in four groups. Either an omnivorous high-fat (OHF), omnivorous high-carbohydrate (OHC), semi-vegetarian high-fat (VHF), and semi-vegetarian high-carbohydrate (VHC).
The results:
The people in the omnivorous, high-fat diet group had no change to their biomarkers, but all three of the other groups showed an improvement in biological age and the most improvements with high carb, low fat diets.
Scientist say that this is a strong indicator that diet can influence in your biological age in a very short time, about one month, even in older adults.
What does this look like?
Eat the majority of your protein from plant-sources. Reduce high fat foods in your diet, which is easier if you are choosing more plant protein options. Eating fewer high fat foods like, nuts, olives, avocados can also help reduce dietary fat. Eat more complex carbohydrates. These foods include, whole grains, vegetables and fruit and are full of nutrients and fibre!
You are never too old to start eating younger!
Change your mind, change your health,
Shayla
If you want to eat more plant protein and stay healthy join my How to Eat a Healthy Vegan Diet course. It is FREE, there are recipes, and comes with everything you need to know.
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