Eating this way really slows down aging! 8 antioxidant foods are not only anti-aging, but also...

From ancient times to the present, people have been studying how to "live longer" or "keep a youthful appearance". Although current scientific methods cannot make people "immortal" or "white-haired and young-looking", eating more antioxidant foods can really fight aging, make us age slower, and live longer.

So what specific antioxidant foods can help you age more slowly? Don’t worry, today we will first analyze the latest research on antioxidant foods and anti-aging, and then tell you how to scientifically resist oxidation~

Antioxidant diet can really fight aging!

On January 2, 2024, researchers from the Department of Gastroenterology at the Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, published a study in the journal Aging that explored the potential correlation between the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) and biological aging.

CDAI is an indicator for assessing dietary antioxidant intake, which aims to evaluate the comprehensive effects of dietary antioxidants on human health.

The study involved 25,302 participants aged 18 and over, with 48.53% female and 51.47% male, all of whom were selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Dietary information of the participants was collected through questionnaires, and the comprehensive dietary antioxidant index was calculated. The phenotypic age of the participants was measured using PhenoAge, and the relationship between the comprehensive dietary antioxidant index and biological aging was analyzed.

The results showed that CDAI was significantly positively correlated with delayed biological aging. The intake of an antioxidant diet delayed biological aging, and the participants with the highest CDAI had a 0.52-year reduction in phenotypic age compared to those with the lowest CDAI scores.

In other words, eating more antioxidant foods can make your body younger. The reason may be that antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress and the body's inflammatory response. Oxidative stress may cause cell damage and may be related to age-related diseases. Inflammation is also related to aging and age-related diseases.

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Eat more of these foods!

The above studies not only concluded that an antioxidant diet can delay aging, but also mentioned the sources of antioxidant ingredients, including beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, manganese, and coenzyme Q10 supplements, as well as phenolic compounds, vitamins, and flavonoids in plant foods. Supplementing antioxidants or consuming foods rich in antioxidants can help us reduce oxidative damage in the body.

It seems that there are many nutrients closely related to anti-oxidation, and there are naturally many foods to choose from. And these foods can not only help us resist oxidation, but also have many other benefits.

1. Foods rich in beta-carotene

This nutrient is not only an antioxidant, but can also be converted into vitamin A in the body to promote eye and skin health. Carrots, pumpkins, chicory, papayas, mangoes, and oranges that we usually eat are rich in beta-carotene. However, be careful when choosing beta-carotene supplements, as high doses of beta-carotene may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers.

2. Foods rich in lycopene

In addition to being an antioxidant, lycopene can also help us prevent cancer, control blood pressure, protect the prostate and heart, and help prevent osteoporosis. This nutrient is mostly found in red foods, such as ketchup, tomatoes, watermelon, guava, grapefruit, etc., among which ketchup is the most recommended. (To learn more about the benefits, click here to learn → This nutrient can prevent cancer and control blood pressure, but many people don’t eat enough!)

3. Foods rich in anthocyanins

Anthocyanins not only have antioxidant effects, but also have the effect of improving vision. The purple cabbage, purple sweet potato, black rice, blueberry, black wolfberry, mulberry, etc. that we usually eat are rich in anthocyanins.

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4. Foods rich in soy isoflavones

Soy isoflavones are mainly found in soy products and are also phytoestrogens. They are one of the biologically active ingredients in soy products and have antioxidant effects, improve and prevent osteoporosis, protect cardiovascular health, prevent Alzheimer's disease, and can also help us regulate estrogen levels in the body.

A study has tested the content of soy isoflavones in the soy products we often eat. The results show that soybeans have the highest content of soy isoflavones, which is 97 mg/100 g. The content of soy isoflavones in soybeans will decrease to varying degrees after being processed. Among different soy products, the content of soy isoflavones is as follows: yuba> dried tofu> bean curd skin> tofu> bean paste> soy milk> soy milk> fermented tofu. In addition, bean sprouts made from soybeans also contain soy isoflavones, but the content is not much, only 14.2 mg/100 g, which is between soy milk and soy milk.

Therefore, if you want to supplement soy isoflavones more effectively, in addition to eating soybeans, it is also recommended to eat bean curd sticks, dried tofu, bean skin, and tofu.

5. Foods Rich in Vitamin C

Vitamin C is very familiar to everyone. In addition to helping us resist oxidation, it also helps maintain immunity, promote iron absorption, and prevent cardiovascular disease. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C, such as bell peppers, bitter melons, cabbage, kiwis, grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, strawberries, etc. Among them, the most recommended vegetables are bell peppers and the most recommended fruits are kiwis. Eating about half a bell pepper or 1 to 2 kiwis can meet the daily vitamin C needs of the general population.

6. Foods Rich in Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a strong oxidant that can protect body cells from free radical damage, strengthen the body's immune function, and is also important for the health of the reproductive system. Egg yolks, cooking oil, sunflower seeds, pecans, and black sesame seeds are all good choices for supplementing vitamin E. However, most of us are not short of vitamin E.

In addition, it is best not to take vitamin E supplements randomly. Studies have mentioned that high-dose vitamin E supplements may increase the risk of prostate cancer and a type of stroke caused by cerebral hemorrhage.

7. Foods Rich in DHA

DHA is an unsaturated fatty acid that is essential for the development of the brain and vision. It can also prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Mackerel and salmon are both foods rich in DHA. Just eating 50 grams of mackerel or salmon can fully meet the daily DHA needs of the general population.

8. Foods rich in tea polyphenols

Tea polyphenols have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The green tea we usually drink is a good source of tea polyphenols. It should be noted that when brewing green tea, do not use too hot water. When the water temperature is controlled at 60℃~80℃, the tea polyphenol yield is higher, and when the temperature is 90℃~100℃, the tea polyphenol yield will decrease. In general, the tea polyphenol yield increases with the extension of brewing time.

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So from a dietary perspective, vegetables, fruits, nuts, soy products, fish and other foods are good sources of antioxidants, which not only help us fight against aging but also have other health benefits.

These bad habits must be changed!

Although consuming foods rich in antioxidants can help delay aging, it should be noted that an antioxidant diet is not the only way to delay aging. A healthy lifestyle, scientific and reasonable exercise, a reasonable diet, and adequate sleep are also important.

1. Smoking

Cigarette smoke contains more than 3,800 chemicals. People who smoke frequently will have more facial wrinkles and their skin condition will gradually deteriorate.

2. Staying up late

Staying up late is the current living condition of most young people. Studies have shown that compared with those who do not stay up late, the skin barrier of people who stay up late is damaged. This is manifested as a decrease in the water content of the stratum corneum, which in turn leads to an increase in transepidermal water loss. It should be noted that only when the water content of the stratum corneum is high can the skin be bright and shiny. In addition, the amount of sebum in the skin of people who stay up late will increase, and the firmness will also decrease.

Therefore, staying up late for a long time will promote skin aging. It is best to go to bed before 23:00 every day and ensure sufficient 8 hours of sleep.

3. Don’t like to drink water

Drinking too little water can not only make your skin dry and wrinkled, but also affect the aging rate of the body. A study published in The Lancet mentioned that insufficient water intake is a risk factor for accelerated aging and increases the risk of death and the prevalence of chronic diseases.

It is best for us to follow the recommendations of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" and drink 1700 ml and 1500 ml of boiled water or light tea for men and women respectively.

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4. Love sweets

Eating too much sugar will promote the glycation reaction of the skin, which will lead to decreased skin elasticity, dark yellow skin, spots, and easy aging.

Summarize:

Tend to choose the types of food mentioned in the article and change bad habits that are harmful to the skin. Such an antioxidant diet can help us reduce the damage of oxidative stress to the body, resist aging and prolong life.

References

[1]He, Huiqinetal. "Compositedietaryantioxidantindexassociatedwithdelayedbiologicalaging:apopulation-basedstudy." Agingvol.16,1(2024):15-27.doi:10.18632/aging.205232

[2]https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth

[3] Liu Liting, Shi Fei, Liu Ye, Chen Shanshan. Analysis of types and contents of soy isoflavones in different soy products[J]. Food Safety Guide, 2022(19):100-102.DOI:10.16043/j.cnki.cfs.2022.19.050.

[4] Yang Xianqing, Lü Junwei, Lin Wanling, Li Laihao, Li Xiaoyan. Research progress on functional properties and antioxidant activity of DHA[J]. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2014, 35(02): 390-394. DOI: 10.13386/j.issn1002-0306.2014.02.069.

[5] Mi Zhi, Liu Lizhen, Wu Xiaohong, Cheng Meng. Effect of brewing conditions on the yield of tea polyphenols in sunshine green tea[J]. Food Research and Development, 2021, 42(03): 63-67.

[6] Liu Ting. Correlation between skin physiological characteristics and skin microecology of people who stay up late[D]. Shanghai University of Technology, 2020. DOI: 10.27801/d.cnki.gshyy.2020.000414.

[7] Dmitrieva, Natalia Ietal. "Middle-agehighnormalserumsodiumasariskfactorforacceleratedbiologicalaging,chronicdiseases,andprematuremortality." EBioMedicinevol.87(2023):104404.doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104404

Planning and production

This article is a work of Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project

Produced by: Science Popularization Department of China Association for Science and Technology

Producer: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review丨Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center