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Anti -Aging Guide (Prevention)
Prevention's Anti-Aging Guide
Provided by:
By Andreas von Bubnoff and Joanna Lloyd, Prevention
Last Updated: 12/04/2006 09:54:21
We used to think our fate was in the cards—or in the stars.
Now, thanks to research unlocking the secrets to living
longer and better, we know different. It turns out that 70%
of the factors influencing life expectancy are due to good
choices and good luck—not good genes.
What are the moves that will peel off the years? Prevention
asked dozens of scientists studying aging, exercise,
nutrition, and related fields which changes deliver the
biggest payoff. Read on for their picks—powerful enough to
make these researchers adopt them in their own lives.
1. Stay the weight you were at 18
"Next to not smoking, this is probably the most important
thing we can do to stay healthy and live longer," says
Walter Willett, MD, chair of the department of nutrition at
the Harvard School of Public Health.
Leanness matters, because fat cells produce hormones that
raise the risk of type 2 diabetes. They also make
sub-stances called cytokines that cause
inflammation—stiffening the arteries and the heart and
other organs. Carrying excess fat also raises the risk of
some cancers. Add it up, and studies show that lean people
younger than age 75 halve their chances of premature death,
compared with people who are obese.
The government deems a wide range of weights to be healthy
(between 110 and 140 pounds for a 5-foot-4 woman), partly
because body frames vary tremendously. So to maintain the
weight that's right for you, Willett suggests you
periodically try to slip into the dress you wore to your
high school prom—assuming, of course, that you were a
healthy weight at that age. If not, aim for a body mass
index of about 23.5.
Willett can't use the prom-dress test himself.
Nevertheless, at 6-foot-2 and a lean 184 pounds, he
dutifully hews to the BMI of his youth.
2. Take the dynamic duo of supplements
They're what Bruce N. Ames, PhD, a professor of
biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of
California , Berkeley , swears by: his daily 800 mg of
alpha-lipoic acid and 2,000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine. In
these amounts, he says, the chemicals boost the energy
output of mitochondria, which power our cells. "I think
mitochondrial decay is a major factor in aging," Ames
says—it's been linked to diseases such as Alzheimer's and
diabetes.
In his studies, elderly rats plied with the supplements had
more energy and ran mazes better. "If you're an old rat,
you can be enthusiastic," Ames says. "As people, we can't
be sure until clinical trials are done." (They're under
way.) But the compounds look very safe—the worst side
effect documented in humans is a rash, Ames says—and "the
data in animals looks really convincing," says S. Mitchell
Harman, MD, PhD, president of the Kronos Longevity Research
Institute in Phoenix.
3. Skip a meal
This one move could have truly dramatic results. Rats fed
30% less than normal live 30% longer than usual—and in a
recent study at the Washington University School of
Medicine in St. Louis, the hearts of the leaner human
calorie-cutters appeared 10 to 15 years younger than those
of regular eaters.
In other research, calorie restrictors improved their blood
insulin levels and had fewer signs of damage to their DNA.
Eating less food, scientists believe, may reduce tissue
wear and tear from excess blood sugar, inflammation, or
rogue molecules known as free radicals.
Edward Calabrese, PhD, and Mark Mattson, PhD, have opted
for "calorie restriction lite." Calabrese, a professor of
toxicology and environmental health sciences at the
University of Massachusetts , Amherst , dumped the midday
meal. Mattson, chief of the laboratory of neurosciences at
the National Institute on Aging, has done without breakfast
for 20 years.
Try it
Skip a meal a day. You don't need to try to cut calories;
Mattson's research suggests you'll naturally consume less
that day. Or try fasting one day a week. Just drink plenty
of water.
4. Get a pet
Open up your home and heart to Rover or Boots. Owning a pet
reduces the number of visits to the doctor, prolongs
survival after a heart attack, and wards off depression,
says James Serpell, PhD, director of the Center for the
Interaction of Animals and Society at the University of
Pennsylvania . (His family has a cat, a dog, a large green
iguana, a bearded dragon, and a dozen fish.)
Pet ownership also protects against a major problem of
aging: high blood pressure. In one standout study at State
University of New York, Buffalo , stockbrokers with high
blood pressure adopted a pet. When they were faced with
mental stress, their BP increased less than half as much as
in their counterparts without animal pals. But pick your
pet with care. There is nothing stress-reducing about a dog
that chews the baseboard to bits.
5. Get help for what hurts
Studies suggest that continuous pain may dampen the immune
system—and evidence is clear that it can cause deep
depression and push levels of the noxious stress hormone
cortisol higher.
So enough with the stoicism: Take chronic pain to your
doctor and keep complaining until you have a treatment plan
that works, says Nathaniel Katz, MD, a neurologist and
pain-management specialist at Tufts University School of
Medicine. Your mood will improve—and your immune system may
perk up, too.
6. Take a hike
To make the walls of your arteries twice as flexible as
those of a couch potato, just walk briskly for 30 minutes,
5 days a week. That's what Hirofumi Tanaka, PhD, an
associate professor of kinesiology and health education at
the University of Texas , advises after tracking the
elasticity of people's blood vessels using ultrasound.
With age, blood vessel walls tend to stiffen up like old
tires—the main reason two-thirds of people older than age
60 have high blood pressure. Exercise keeps vessels
pliable. Mild exercise also reduces the risk of diabetes,
certain cancers, depression, aging of the skin, maybe even
dementia. That excites exercise researcher Steven N. Blair,
past president of the nonprofit Cooper Institute in Dallas
. He's run nearly every day for almost 40 years. "Not bad
for a 66-year-old fat man."
7. Fight fair
Nasty arguments between couples increase the risk of
clogged arteries. In a recent University of Utah study,
women's hearts suffered when they made or heard hostile
comments; men's hearts reacted badly to domineering,
controlling words.
"It's normal to have a fight with your spouse—it's a matter
of how you fight," says Ronald Glaser, PhD, an immunologist
at Ohio State University . What he and his wife, Ohio State
clinical psychologist Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, put
off-limits: "Getting nasty, sarcastic, or personal, or
using body language like rolling your eyes. It's better to
simply agree to disagree."
8. Stop and plant the roses
Gardening or being around plants bears fruit. In one study,
blood pressure jumped in workers given a stressful task—but
rose only a quarter as much if there were plants in the
room. And patients who had a view of trees as they
recovered from surgery left the hospital almost a day
sooner than those with a view of a brick wall.
9. Hoist a few (weights, that is)
Everyone knows cardio exercise is key to slowing the
advance of time. More surprising: Strength-training is
crucial, too. That's because after their mid-40s, people
lose ¼ pound of muscle mass a year, gaining fat in its
place.
But, says Miriam E. Nelson, PhD, an associate professor at
the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University, "For
a couple of decades, you don't have to lose any muscle, if
you do the appropriate exercises." Even people well into
their 90s can regain muscle, she's found. Just lift weights
2 or 3 days a week, for a minimum of 30 minutes.
The payoff: more endurance, stronger bones, less risk of
diabetes—and better sleep and thinking. Nelson rock climbs
and does plenty of other weight-bearing exercise.
10. Do a good deed
Pick up trash in the park or shop for a neighbor who needs
help, says William Brown, PhD, a lecturer of psychology at
Brunel University , West London . He studied people in
Brooklyn and found that those who had a denser social
network and gave more to their friends and family than they
received—whether the gift was in the form of money, food,
advice, or time—reported feeling healthier than others,
even when he factored in activity levels.
Another study, at the University of Michigan , looked at
423 elderly married couples; after 5 years, the pairs who
were more altruistic were only half as likely to have died.
"Many people grow up thinking it's a dog-eat-dog world,"
Brown says. "But there's a lot of data that suggests the
best way to be healthy is to be kind to others."
11. Eat a rainbow...
...made of vegetables, says Peter Greenwald, MD, director
of the division of cancer prevention at the National Cancer
Institute. Their cancer-preventing abilities are
unparalleled. Remember: Aim for nine servings of fruits and
vegetables each day.
12. Sup from the sea
Don't just slap anything with fins onto your plate: You
want fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, and lake trout.
They contain the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which
many studies show help prevent sudden death from heart
attack. Omega-3s may also help ward off depression,
Alzheimer's disease, and age-related macular degeneration,
a leading cause of blindness—and maybe some cancers,
although evidence is mixed.
To get more of the benefits of good fats, snack on an ounce
(a handful) of walnuts a day. Use less corn oil, and more
canola and olive oils. Greg Cole, PhD, a professor of
medicine and neurology at UCLA, also avoids cookies,
margarine, and snack foods such as chips, which are loaded
with unhealthy trans fats. On his menu: two tuna sandwiches
plus a couple of DHA-enriched eggs a week. He takes 2 g of
fish oil daily.
13. Belt out a tune
Exposing yourself to music might help boost your immune
system: In a study done by Robert Beck, PhD, a professor
emeritus at the University of California, Irvine, levels of
an infection-fighting antibody called IgA increased 240% in
the saliva of choral members performing Beethoven's Missa
Solemnis.
14. Drink a cuppa
Intrigued by studies (of mice, cells in lab dishes, and
people) that say tea may fight prostate and breast cancer
and heart disease, researcher Anna Wu, PhD, a professor of
preventive medicine at the University of Southern
California, downs at least 3 cups daily. Green is best,
although black tea confers some benefits, too.
15. Whittle your waist
To determine if your body is staying young, the tape
measure is better than the bathroom scale: Your weight can
remain the same while you lose muscle and pack on fat,
including visceral fat, the culprit behind a thick waist.
It's linked to a heightened risk of age-related ills such
as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. If
your waist measures more than 35 inches (for a woman) or 40
inches (for a man), you probably have too much belly fat.
The best way to shed that inner load: exercise, says Kerry
Stewart, EdD, director of clinical and research exercise
physiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine. In a 6-month study of 69 men and women, he found
a 20% reduction in visceral fat, though participants lost
only 5 pounds. Stewart's program was brisk but not too
arduous: 45 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobics three
times a week and 20 minutes of moderate-intensity weight
training, also three times weekly.
16. Double up on D
If there's one vitamin supplement you should take, this is
it, experts say. Vitamin D is made in the skin when sun
hits it—but as people get older, the D factory doesn't work
as well. About half of Americans fall short. Research
suggests that a lack of D raises the risk of osteoporosis,
multiple sclerosis, and various cancers.
"No other nutrient is so widely deficient in the United
States ," says Meir Stampfer, MD, chair of the department
of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
"Unless you eat a lot of fish, you have to supplement."
Stampfer takes 1,800 IU daily in the winter and 800 to
1,200 IU a day the rest of the year. Make sure your
supplement contains vitamin D3, the form the skin makes.
17. Dine on curry
Turmeric, the spice that makes curry yellow, is loaded with
curcumin, a chemical with potent antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory properties. In India , it's smeared on
bandages to help heal wounds.
East Asians also eat it, of course—which might explain why
they have lower rates than we do of various cancers and
Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. (Animal
research is promising.) Cole, of UCLA, makes sure he gets a
good dose of Indian food with "lots of yellow stuff" three
times weekly. Don't like the taste? Try a daily curcumin
supplement of 500 to 1,000 mg.
18. Donate blood
The life you save may be your own. Many researchers think
that we take in too much iron, mostly from eating red meat.
Excess iron is thought to create free radicals in the body,
speeding aging and raising risk of heart disease, cancer,
and Alzheimer's. Until menopause, women are naturally
protected from iron overload, but after that the danger of
overdose climbs.
Preliminary studies suggest you can lower your risk of
heart disease by regularly giving blood. Thomas Perls, MD,
an associate professor of medicine at Boston University who
leads the New England Centenarian Study, donates a unit
every 2 months. He has a rare blood type, so he's helping
others—and he may get something out of it, too. If you're
scared of needles, at least go easy on red meat: no more
than a daily serving the size of a pack of cards.
19. Look out for your eyes
Getting plenty of omega-3s in food or supplements may help
ward off age-related macular degeneration. Plant
antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin (found in leafy
green vegetables like kale and collards) are helpful, too.
People who have drusen—tiny deposits within the retina that
can be early signs of macular degeneration—can reduce their
risk of blindness in both eyes by 25% if they take a
supplement, says John Paul SanGiovanni, ScD, a staff
scientist at the National Eye Institute. What to take,
according to his study: 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of
vitamin E, 80 mg of zinc, 15 mg of beta-carotene, and 2 mg
of copper.
20. Take fern extract for your skin
Studies suggest that the antioxidant-rich extract of the
South American fern Polypodium leucotomos may help keep
your skin youthful by protecting against free radicals and
reducing inflammation. Until clinical trials find proof,
"it's like chicken soup—it can't hurt and it might help a
bit," says dermatologist Mary Lupo, MD, a Prevention
advisor and a clinical professor of dermatology at the
Tulane University School of Medicine.
Lupo takes 240 mg every morning in a supplement called
Heliocare, made by Ivax Dermatologicals. She also slaps on
broad-spectrum sunscreen and Retin-A daily and eats a diet
loaded with colorful fruits and vegetables—blueberries,
raspberries, grapefruit, broccoli, spinach. It may also
help to drink green tea and nibble flavonoid-rich dark
chocolate, she adds. What you must do: Avoid excessive sun
exposure and don't smoke.
21. Take a deep breath
Strife at work, bumper-to-bumper traffic, little Will's
report card: Stress increases the concentration of the
hormones cortisol and norepinephrine in our bloodstream,
kicking up blood pressure and suppressing the immune
system. Chronic stress delays wound healing, promotes
atherosclerosis, and possibly shrinks parts of the brain
involved in learning, memory, and mood.
"The key is lowering the concentration of those stress
hormones," says Bruce Rabin, MD, PhD, medical director of
the Healthy Lifestyle program at the University of
Pittsburgh Medical Center. He's devised a research-based
program that mutes the hormone flow: It includes
meditation, deep breathing, writing, chanting, and guided
imagery. Check it out at the Healthy Lifestyle program Web
site.
Deep breathing is the top antistress pick of Prevention
advisor Andrew Weil, MD: He makes time for it at least
twice a day. "It only takes 2 minutes," he says. "I do it
in the morning, when I'm falling asleep in the evening, and
any time I feel upset."
Technique
Exhale strongly through the mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Breathe in quietly through the nose for a count of 4. Hold
your breath for a count of 7; then exhale with the whoosh
sound for a count of 8. Repeat the cycle three more times.
22. Hey—turn it down!
Exposure to noise damages the delicate hair cells of your
inner ears. So when you're around loud noise, wear
earplugs—the cheap type you can buy at the drugstore, or
pricier ones that preserve sound quality. Andy Vermiglio, a
research audiologist at the House Ear Institute in Los
Angeles , offers free hearing tests at trade shows for
audio engineers (aka sound guys). He can always tell which
40-year-old engineer was religious about ear protection and
which one was careless: The latter typically has the
hearing of a 70-year-old.
23. Get more shut-eye
Some sleep problems raise the risk of high blood pressure,
heart disease, and diabetes—maybe even obesity. Everyone's
sleep needs are different; to find out what yours are,
sleep experts recommend you turn off the alarm clock when
you're well rested, and see how long you naturally sleep.
(Most people need 7 to 8 hours.)
While you're at it, ask your spouse if you snore. Snorting
and honking through the night are signs that you may have
sleep apnea, which causes you to stop breathing at least
five times an hour; it raises your risk of stroke. An
estimated 18 million Americans have the disorder, but many
don't know it, reports the National Sleep Foundation.
Doctors are more likely to miss sleep apnea in women, says
Joseph Kaplan, MD, codirector of the Mayo Sleep Disorders
Center in Jacksonville , FL —and women may not want to
mention their unladylike habit. Ladylike, schmadylike. Tell
your doctor.
24. Drop that hot potato
High-glycemic foods, rich in quick-digesting carbohydrates,
can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes and contribute to
overeating and diabetes risk—which accelerates aging.
We need to retrain our taste buds, says Willett. What to
ditch: sugary drinks. And cut way back on America 's
favorite veggie, the potato. It has the highest glycemic
index of any vegetable, sending more sugar rushing into the
bloodstream faster. Willett's team at Harvard recently
found that over a 20-year period, women who ate more whole
grains and fewer spuds had a 20 to 30% lower risk of type 2
diabetes. His carb picks for his own dinner: brown rice and
whole grain bread, and sometimes whole wheat pasta or
bulgur.
25. Put on your rose-colored glasses
"Embracing some of the positive aspects of aging is
helpful," says Becca Levy, PhD, an associate professor of
epidemiology and psychology at Yale. She found more than a
7-year survival advantage for older men and women with a
positive attitude toward aging, compared with people who
have a negative one.
If you're a cranky sort, you might also want to tweak your
attitude about other things. "People who have a goal in
life—a passion, a purpose, a positive outlook, and
humor—live longer," says Robert Butler, MD, president of
the International Longevity Center in New York City .
Embrace life, and the coming of old age—it happens to all
of us. If we're lucky.
The Biggest Bang
Here are the top seven steps you can take to stay young:
· Take brisk walks
· Keep your waist trim
· Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
· Strength-train a few times a week
· Get enough sleep (most people need 7 or 8 hours nightly)
· Manage your stress
· Keep a positive outlook
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