With each year, we tend to notice more things about ourselves. We’re not as energetic as we used to be, we find more pains that we had never felt before, and even the smaller fonts in our favorite books have begun to become uncomfortable to ready. Everyone gets older, there’s no way around it, no matter how terrifying it may seem. However your health doesn’t have to go down with your age, and there are measures you can take to help reduce the effects aging has on you. The easiest, and arguably the most important thing, that we can do is to update our diet with more nutritional foods. Below is a quick guide to some foods that will be able to help you age with grace.
Is Broccoli Good for Aging?
That miniature tree haunted many people when they were a kid, but it turns out our parents may have been right to force it on us. Broccoli is filled to the brim with vitamins and nutrients, including:
- Vitamin K: Required to help prevent blood clots and for protein function.
- Vitamin C: Along with prevent flus and colds, it also produces collagen, which aids in healing wounds and cuts properly.
- Fiber: Keeps your digestion regular and maintains your cholesterol levels.
- Potassium: An important electrolyte that assists in major bodily functions, such as blood pressure control, water balance, muscle contractions, and maintaining nerve function.
These nutrients aside, there are also numerous studies across the nation that confirm it’s an excellent choice for preventing serious illnesses, including cancer. Whatever way you serve it, steamed, baked, or other ways, you’ll find yourself feeling better if you include it into your normal diet.
How do Beets Change the Aging Process?
If you’re in the market for preventing illnesses, beets are considered to be an essential source for boosting the immune system. They contain a good amount of betaine, a nutrient which acts as a shield against outside forces for cells, enzymes, and proteins. Betaine will also protect your internal organs by reinforcing the nearby muscle tissue, and even aid in fighting inflammation.
Eating beets can actually increase your stamina as well. It is believed that beets assist in turning nitrates into nitric oxide, which reduces the oxygen cost of low-intensity exercises and enhance greater tolerance to high-intensity exercises. If you find yourself feeling sluggish then a cup of beet juice or a beet addition to your next salad may perk you up.
Is Ginger Good for Feeling Younger?
When we’ve felt nauseous in the past many of us likely turned to ginger ale, and that’s because ginger is a popular spice that helps regulate digestion. However, there are many other things it’s also capable of! An example would be that, if taken daily, it’s able to aid with muscle soreness and even degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis. Even joint stiffness can be soothed by this pain relieving spice. It’s also been found to help women who experience menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea). In one study they concluded that women who took 1 gram of ginger powder each day for the first 3 days of their menstrual period felt the same levels of relief as other pain medication, including ibuprofen.
Currently studies are being done to see how ginger might affect patients with alzheimer’s or other brain degenerative diseases. While the research has yet to be confirmed, there is good reason to believe that ginger can enhance brain function and aid in the slowing or prevention of age-related decline in brain functionality.
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How do Oysters Affect Aging?
Oysters are a well loved shellfish that are home to many nutrients known to battle inflammation, including Vitamin A, C, E, Zinc, and Iron, however it also contains a necessary fatty acid that few superfoods have: Omega-3.
Commonly found in seafood, omega-3 is lacking in most traditional American diets. Arguably one of the most important fatty acids for your body, it’s found in abundance in oysters. Omega-3 is responsible for lowering elevated triglyceride levels which over time can lead to heart disease, and it can curb stiffness for those suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis. While the studies are still inconclusive, it’s also thought to help people who suffer from asthma.
Omega-3, much like ginger, can also help with your mental health. Studies have shown that those who do have omega-3 in their diet suffer far less from depression and anxiety as compared to those who don’t. It may also reduce symptoms in those who suffer from ADD/ADHD, and may even aid in memory loss. There is no full certainty on this subject yet, and it should not be a replacement for current medications, however studies have shown a positive influence on brain function.
Are Blueberries Helpful for Aging?
Maintaining healthy bones is one of the most important benefits gained from blueberries. They are high in iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc and Vitamin K, which when working together creates a cocktail ideal for maintaining bone structure and strength. The iron and zinc found in blueberries also help maintain the elasticity in bones and joints, and Vitamin K improves calcium absorption and reduces calcium loss brought on by the aging process.
Those who suffer from type 1 and 2 of diabetes will also want them in their diet. Studies have shown that patients with type 2 have improved insulin levels, blood sugar levels, and lipids, while type 1 patients have lower blood glucose level. As well, eating blueberries on a regular basis can significantly lower your risk of getting type 2 later in life.
Do Tomatoes Slow Aging?
Tomatoes aren’t exactly exotic. They appear to go with just about anything, including salads, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, and more, so it should be easy to add them into your diet. Of course, you shouldn’t count them out as a superfood just because they’re so common.
Tomatoes contain some of the common minerals and vitamins, including Vitamins K and C, as well as potassium, however they also contain the antioxidant lycopene, which is known for its ability to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. More than likely tomatoes are already in your diet one way or another, but you should consider increasing your intake per week to really reap in the benefits.
Do Black Beans Help Fight Aging?
As their main focus is bone structure and elasticity, black beans can be called the legume equivalent of blueberries. A major difference is that black beans contain a high concentration of folate, fiber, and Vitamin B6. While the fiber helps to lower cholesterol in the blood to reduce the risk of heart disease, Vitamin B6 and folate prevent the build-up of a compound called homocysteine, a leading component of heart disease.
Black beans also have saponins and quercetin, which help with cardioprotection. Quercetin is an anti-inflammatory that seems to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, and protects against damage caused by low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Saponins also appear to lower blood cholesterol and blood lipid levels, preventing damage to heart and blood vessels.
Can Guava Help Me Look Younger?
Containing about the same levels of Vitamin C but less sugar and carbohydrates than an orange, guava is seen as a more diabetic friendly option. It also contains higher levels of manganese, allowing nutrients to be more efficiently absorbed into your body.
An interesting thing about guava is how it benefits your skin complexion. Guava pulp is found in many cosmetic care lotions due to the high amounts of Vitamin C and carotene, the latter of which helping with UV sensitivity and reducing age-related macular degeneration. Guavas are also about 81% water, so they aid in skin hydration.
Does Kale Slow Aging?
Those stalks that you often see used as a garnish are actually some of the most nutritious foods you can get you hand on. Kale contains all the same vitamins and minerals located in all the entries on this list, but has the highest Vitamin K content of them all. Kale is an amazing overall superfood, and the benefits include skincare, eyecare, brain-function, dietary regulation, disease prevention, and more. It’s also been noted that in recent studies the participants who added one of two servings of kale daily into their diet had a cognitive ability that was equivalent to the subjects that were 11 years their junior. If you have to choose a superfood to add, make it kale. The benefits are impossible to deny.
Do Sweet Potatoes Fight Aging?
Few foods can stand up to sweet potatoes when it comes to skincare. Due to their richness in it, you only need 1,600 micrograms, or 3.5 ounces to achieve almost 90% of your daily need for Vitamin A. This is a great food to have if you want to get that youthful glow in your skin without risking overexposure to harmful UV rays.
As well they contain a good amount of Vitamin D, which will not just reinforce your bone structure, but aid in regulating stress and mood more effectively, which means you’ll have more drive and energy.
Do Whole Grains Slow Aging?
Your average slice of white, sourdough and potato breads contain very little nutritional value, which you can fix by switching to whole grains. They’re often made from wholesome ingredients, like barley, brown rice, and oatmeal, so they are chock full of the good carbohydrates which lower blood pressure and cholesterol, as well they also contain more fiber than other breads.
Another thing to note is that one of the biggest causes of obesity in America is the overconsumption of the processed breads. Due to the high fiber content in whole grains you’ll find they help regulate weight, and can even promote weight loss, all while lowering your risk for type 2 diabetes.
Can Spinach Fight Aging?
Spinach is the more slightly reserved yet still tough-looking cousin of kale. It’s low in fat, can lower cholesterol, and is high in niacin, zinc, protein, fiber, Vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, thiamin, calcium, folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, copper, potassium, and manganese.
Abundant flavonoids in spinach act as antioxidants to keep cholesterol from oxidizing and protect your body, especially in the colon. The folate aids the cardiovascular system, and the magnesium aids in lowering blood pressure. It’s also been seen in studies that spinach helps to maintain your vigorous brain function, mental clarity, and memory.
Do Grapes Affect Aging?
Grapes are a great source of antioxidants that help your body thrive. They are commonly thought to reduce your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity later on in life. While not as nutritious as some of the other items on the list, they still act as a great means by which you could prevent some of the common issues experienced during aging.
Some studies have led scientists to believe the resveratrol can protect against diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy, conditions which are caused by poorly controlled diabetes and that severely affect vision. A study where rats with diabetes were treated with resveratrol for two weeks found that the effects of diabetic neuropathy were reduced.
While large human studies have yet to be conducted, researches have found that resveratrol can also be helpful for treating alzheimer’s disease, improving blood glucose control, and even relieving mood swings and hot flashes associated with menopause.
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