You Are What You Eat: Do These Foods Cause Us To Age Faster?

A healthy diet is essential for our wellbeing and overall health. However, you might have the healthiest diet in the world, but certain elements of said diet might not be great for you as you age. 

Certain foods can cause our bodies to age a lot faster than it should. Let’s take a look at some of the foods and drinks causing us to age prematurely: 

Dairy 

In recent years dairy has caused a lot of mixed feelings in consumers. The Vegan trend “quadrupled in the 5 years between 2012 and 2017” (Vegan Society). Whilst we’re not saying you need to go completely dairy-free, cutting down could be helpful when it comes to healthy ageing. Of course, dairy products are a great source of calcium, so if you do want to cut down ensure you find another good calcium source. 

It depends on the person, but Healthline reports that “dairy may increase inflammation in the body, which leads to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is one of the main causes of premature ageing.”

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Industrial Trans Fats 

Mostly found in tasty baked goods, industrial made trans fats can cause serious damage to our hearts. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Paula Mee says “the industrial trans fats, if eaten in excess, have been linked with Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease,” she adds. This means these diseases could develop a lot earlier on in our life span, causing us to age prematurely. Naturally occurring trans fats do not have such an impact on our health. Keep an eye on food labels when it comes to these manufactured trans fats. 

Alcohol 

Is it a surprise that alcohol made the list? Not only is alcohol bad for our skin health, but as we age our liver needs to work a bit harder to break down the alcohol in our blood. The extra hard work our liver has to put in “creates more free radicals than the body’s antioxidants can handle, which leads to oxidative stress. [...] When (free radicals are) not kept in balance by antioxidants, they begin to damage your fatty tissue, DNA and proteins. That damage can, in turn, contribute to diabetes, heart disease,(and) neurodegenerative illnesses.” Huff Post 

Fizzy Drinks 

We’re warned off fizzy drinks from primary school, but it turns out as we age they can really help speed up the ageing process. A study published in 2014 conducted research to determine the link between sugar intake via fizzy drinks and ageing. The researchers studied Telomeres. These are the DNA-protein caps at the end of chromosomes that promote chromosomal stability and protect the genomic DNA from damage. The length of the Telomere naturally shortens during every cell cycle. If the Telomere falls to a very short length, the cell is no longer able to divide, and function properly. The study states, “shorter telomeres have been associated with increased risks of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers.” The results of the study found that. “For a daily 20-ounce serving, the current standard serving size, this translates into approximately 4.6 additional years of ageing.” Always consult a medical professional before adopting any new diet.