If you’ve been searching for the Fountain of Youth, you might want to take a look at a study published in the journal Aging. Researchers report that six women ranging in age from 46 to 65 were able to turn back the clock, with most reducing their biological age by several years.
How did they do it? Researchers say the women completed a methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle program designed to impact DNA methylation and measures of biological aging.
According to the National Cancer Institute, DNA methylation is a chemical reaction in the body in which a small molecule called a methyl group gets added to DNA, proteins, or other molecules.
The addition of methyl groups can affect how some molecules act in the body. For example, methylation of the DNA sequence of a gene may turn the gene off so it does not make a protein.
The intervention consisted of an eight-week program that included diet, sleep, exercise and relaxation guidance, supplemental probiotics and phytonutrients and nutritional coaching.
“At the end of the eight-week period, five of the six participants exhibited a biological age reduction of between 1.22 and 11.01 years from their baseline biological age,” the authors wrote.
It’s a health issue
While consumers spend millions of dollars each year on products to make them look younger, the researchers say their findings go well beyond cosmetics. They say it could vastly improve health.
They note that six in ten adults in the U.S. have at least one chronic disease and four in ten adults have two or more. Chronic diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and they put a significant burden on the healthcare system.
“Aging itself has been identified as a common driver of chronic diseases and an important target for extending human healthspan,” they wrote. “It has also been estimated that if we improve our collective healthspan by just one year the calculated savings are worth $38 trillion dollars, and if by 10 years those savings jump to $367 trillion dollars.”
What they did
Participants in the program consumed the following food each day:
2 cups, dark leafy greens
2 cups cruciferous vegetables
3 cups of colorful vegetables
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
2 servings methylation adaptogens
1 to 2 beets
Liver or liver supplement (three, 3-ounce servings per week)
1 serving egg (5-10 per week)
Probiotics (2 capsules)
Greens powder
Healthy daily routine:
I exercised for at least 30 minutes
I practiced breathing exercises twice
I slept at least 7 hours
I fasted 12 hours after my meal
I drank eight cups of water each day
Before embarking on any significant change to diet or exercise routines it is a good idea to discuss it with your healthcare provider.