Aging is an inevitable process that we all go through, but many companies will try to market products that claim to "stop" or "reverse" aging. Unfortunately, there is no real way to do this. However, we can make changes to our diet and lifestyle that will still have a lasting effect on the rate at which we age and how healthy we can be in the process. There are even certain eating habits we can adopt that can help us slow aging by reducing the risk of disease.
Focusing on age-related disease risk reduction is important at any age, but there are a few key reasons why your 50s is an important decade for adopting healthy eating habits. In general, aging is known as a major risk factor for disease. Additionally, the Mayo Clinic asserts that the likelihood of heart disease and heart attack can increase for men after turning 45 and for women after age 55. The National Institute of Aging also states that keeping your blood pressure levels at a healthy number in your 50s can directly impact your risk of heart disease. Furthermore, a study published in BMJ found that having a healthy heart in your 50s may help reduce your risk of dementia in later years.
As you can see, focusing on your risk of disease is a significant part of slowing the aging process in your 50s, and the good news is that maintaining healthy eating habits is a great way to do this. To find out which eating habits may be helpful in slowing aging after 50, we looked at recent research studies and talked with registered dietitian Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, at Balance One Supplements.
1) Increasing Dietary Fiber Intake: Benefits and Tips
Getting enough dietary fiber in your daily diet as you age is crucial, as it can help lower your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and even cancer, according to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. Fiber can have this impact by way of lowering oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in the body—both of which are markers that occur naturally as you age.
In fact, a study published in The Journals of Gerontology found that after taking into consideration multiple factors like carbohydrate intake, sugar intake, glycemic load, and intake of fiber, it was fiber that made the most significant impact in ensuring successful aging and reduction of age-related disease risk.
To get more fiber in your diet, try incorporating more whole grains, lentils, vegetables, and fruit into your daily meals.
2) Increasing Protein Intake for Healthy Aging
According to Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, your body begins to lose muscle mass every decade after the age of 30, with an even greater decrease occurring after the age of 60. To help fight age-related muscle loss, as well as prepare for your 60s by instilling helpful habits now, it's especially important to focus on building more muscle after the age of 50. One major way of doing this is by making sure you're eating enough protein.
A report published in Nutrients states that a diet high in protein combined with resistance training is helpful in maintaining healthy muscle growth as you age, and that the protein requirement is greater with age because of potential muscle mass loss. To get more protein in your diet, focus on lean sources like poultry, eggs, nuts, Greek yogurt, etc.
3) The Benefits of Incorporating Healthy Fats in Your Diet
As mentioned above, your risk for heart disease can increase as early as between the ages of 45 and 55. That said, a helpful area to focus on in your 50s is making sure you have a healthy heart. One major way to do this is by incorporating healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids into your daily diet.
4) Incorporating More Plant-Based Foods into Your Diet
A plant-based diet has been shown to have numerous benefits on the aging process. Incorporating more plant-based foods in your daily diet can help increase longevity, reduce inflammation, aid in weight loss, lower lipid levels, stabilize blood pressure, and reduce the number of advanced glycation end products (AGEs).
According to registered dietitian Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, AGE compounds found in many processed foods and animal products such as processed red meat, bacon, and sausages, are often linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. These compounds not only age a person internally but also externally by causing oxidative damage to the skin, leading to wrinkles and fine lines.
Studies have found that diets high in plant-based foods can help increase lifespan. A study published in PLoS Medicine found that those who followed a plant-based diet had a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and all causes. Another study published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology found that a plant-based diet can help slow down skin aging.
Incorporating more plant-based foods in your diet can be as simple as adding more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds to your meals. Not only can it have positive effects on your health, but it can also help reduce your environmental footprint.
5) Limiting Ultra-Processed Foods for Better
Health
Processed foods have become a staple of the modern diet, but they often come with a price when it comes to health. Whole foods, on the other hand, are foods that are in their natural form without any significant processing. This includes vegetables, fruits, non-processed animal products, whole grains, beans, legumes, and nuts. To help slow the aging process after 50, it is important to limit the intake of ultra-processed foods and consume more whole foods.
"Eating whole foods means you aren't eating as many processed foods, which significantly reduces the number of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that are consumed, as well as lowers your consumption of inflammatory refined carbohydrates," says Best, a registered dietitian.
Consuming a diet high in ultra-processed foods can lead to heart disease, as concluded in a study from Advances in Nutrition. This risk increases with age, especially in the 50s. To mitigate this risk, it is important to incorporate more whole foods into the diet and limit the consumption of ultra-processed ones. Whole foods contain more nutrients, fiber, and beneficial compounds that promote better health.
Processed foods are often high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, sodium, and additives that can cause inflammation and contribute to the development of chronic diseases. They also have a negative impact on gut health, leading to digestive problems and poor nutrient absorption. By replacing these foods with whole foods, the body can get the nutrients it needs to maintain optimal health and reduce the risk of disease.
Moreover, by limiting the intake of ultra-processed foods and consuming more whole foods, one can significantly reduce the consumption of AGEs. These compounds are associated with chronic diseases, aging, and skin damage, leading to wrinkles and fine lines. By incorporating more whole foods into the diet, one can slow down the aging process and promote better overall health.
In conclusion, it is crucial to limit the intake of ultra-processed foods and consume more whole foods to slow the aging process after 50. By doing so, individuals can reduce their risk of chronic diseases, promote better health, and improve their overall quality of life.
6) Following the Mediterranean Diet
Eating a diet that mimics the traditional Mediterranean diet can help to slow the aging process by reducing inflammation and including healthier fats while also decreasing consumption of ultra-processed foods. This diet focuses primarily on fish and seafood as the source of protein, but red meat can also be incorporated. It includes healthy fats that provide a larger amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which are naturally anti-inflammatory and aid in healthy aging.
As these eating habits demonstrate, reducing intake of inflammatory, AGE-heavy foods such as processed foods and refined carbohydrates while incorporating vegetables, whole grains, fruit, protein, and fiber is essential for healthy aging. This article has been updated with additional revisions, research, and contextual links, from the previous version published on November 7, 2021.