The study found that eating foods rich in polyphenols could effectively reverse ageing.
Scientists have discovered that four common foods could hold the secret to living longer. Regularly consuming these foods could reduce your biological age by more than two years.
While it is impossible to completely prevent the body from ageing, many people look for ways to delay the process as much as possible. Regular exercise and cutting back on certain habits are some of the steps people take to promote longevity.
But a new study has shown how an important a role your diet can take. Published in the journal Ageing, the findings revealed that eating foods rich in polyphenols – naturally occurring compounds in plants – could effectively reverse ageing.
These specific foods are known as “methyl adaptogens” because the polyphenols they contain have been shown in lab studies to modulate DNA methylation – chemical tags that help regulate how genes are expressed as we age.
The foods highlighted in the study were:
- Turmeric
- Rosemary
- Garlic
- Berries
Green tea and oolong tea were also found to have anti-ageing properties. However, it is important to note this isn’t to do with looking younger – a reduced biological age comes with a lowered risk of disease and an improved chance of living longer.
The data used by the team came from the Methylation Diet and Lifestyle (MDL) study, which initially reported that participants following a targeted eight-week program lowered their epigenetic age by an average of 3.14 years compared to those who didn’t make any lifestyle changes.
The study involved 43 healthy, predominantly white and highly educated men aged between 50 and 72. Participants were randomly allocated to either maintain their usual lifestyle or adhere to a specific regimen that included daily portions of leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, colourful vegetables, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, lean meats, low-glycaemic fruits, and at least one item from the methyl adaptogen group.
Alcohol, sugar, trans fats, grains, legumes, and dairy were limited. Following an eight-week period, researchers examined DNA methylation in saliva samples to evaluate alterations in epigenetic age.
Although the treatment group lost an average of 4.6 pounds (in contrast to a 0.9-pound increase in the control group), weight loss did not explain the reductions in biological age. Instead, a higher consumption of methyl adaptogens was independently linked with reversing epigenetic age, even after accounting for initial biological age and weight differences.
Study authors wrote: “In hierarchical linear regression, foods investigated as polyphenolic modulators of DNA methylation (green tea, oolong tea, turmeric, rosemary, garlic, berries) categorised in the original study as methyl adaptogens showed significant linear associations with epigenetic age change, after controlling for baseline epigenetic age acceleration and weight changes.
“Although the intervention group lost significantly more weight than the control group, these changes were not associated with epigenetic age changes in the regression model. These findings suggest that consuming foods categorised as methyl adaptogens may reduce markers of epigenetic ageing.”
Why are these foods so effective?
Researchers noted that polyphenols found in green tea (EGCG), turmeric (curcumin), garlic (allicin), berries (anthocyanins), and rosemary (rosmarinic acid) seem to affect enzymes and pathways associated with ageing. These pathways are frequently disrupted in age-related illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, neurodegeneration, and cancer.
The team highlighted that even a single daily serving of methyl adaptogens was associated with noticeable reductions in biological ageing markers. But this study did come with some limitations – it was a small, short-term study involving middle-aged men.
The researchers advised that more diverse, long-term trials are necessary to give more weight to the findings. Moreover, lifestyle factors such as meditation and sleep weren’t evaluated in this follow-up analysis.