New Study: Slow Your Aging By Reducing or Eliminating This One Ingredient From Your Diet

UC San Francisco researchers released great news yesterday for those concerned about aging. They discovered a confirmed link between vitamin- and mineral-rich diet and being biologically “younger” at a cellular level. But perhaps most importantly, there was one key discovery regarding the link between aging and a very common ingredient in most people’s everyday diet. First, though, let's take a look at some of the most common factors typically contributing to aging at a more rapid rate:

Externally, smoking cigarettes affects a person's skin tone. Collagen production is negatively impacted, making skin appear looser and thinner. And, of course, smoking negatively impacts respiratory health and is a known cancer-causing agent. It's never too late to quit.

Chronic stress — that is, living in a constant state of stress — can lead to collagen loss and therefore poor skin tone, hair loss, inflammation, illness and yes, premature aging. Assess your daily stress levels and make necessary steps to reduce or better cope with them.

Overuse of alcohol is not only a calorie nightmare, but it's also a key contributor to premature aging. Internally, alcohol is a carcinogen and has been linked to various types of cancer. Externally, the impact of alcohol overuse or abuse can be seen in skin tone.

Solid, regular sleep is needed to function both physically and mentally. Lack of or poor sleep can take a toll on a person's body at a cellular level, impacting metabolism and the body's ability to self-repair.

While getting a daily dose of Vitamin D is largely considered a positive, long-term and unprotected skin exposure is a major no-no. Ultraviolet light is proven to impact DNA, which can lead to skin cancer and obvious signs of premature aging.

In the study, researchers confirmed that a diet rich in vitamins and minerals was key in slowing the aging process at a cellular level. 

Additionally, though, a diet that had little to no added sugar positively impacted the “epigenetic clock,” which is a biochemical test used to measure age.

“From a lifestyle medicine standpoint, it is empowering to see how heeding these recommendations may promote a younger cellular age relative to chronological age,” says Dorothy Chiu, PhD, and first author of the study, which was released this week.