The power of a healthy diet resides in the plant chemicals and compounds hidden within staples like fruits, vegetables, pulses and nuts. A nutritionist has shared the three “anti-ageing” nutrients that could help boost your longevity and benefit your health.
There’s no doubt that a healthy diet can lay the groundwork for a long and healthy life.
Packed with olive oil, whole grains, fresh fruits and veg, The Mediterranean diet is often hailed for its positive effects on longevity.
However, Alexander Thompson, Senior Nutritionist from Holland and Barrett, explained that some specific nutrients could also provide “anti-ageing” benefits and protect your health as well as your body as you get older.
Vitamin C
Hidden in zesty citruses and sweet tomatoes, vitamin C offers strong “antioxidant” effects which can neutralise the damage posed by free radicals.
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Thompson said: “The proposed relationship between vitamin C intake and longevity relates to the free radical theory of disease and ageing.
“Free radicals are substances produced as natural by-products of all bodily processes, a bit like a car producing exhaust fumes.
“In small levels, these free radicals cause no harm to the body but in excessive levels, they are thought to cause damage to cells, increasing the risk of certain disease states and accelerating the ageing process.”
This is where vitamin C could step in and help eliminate the damaging effects of free radicals and therefore slow down the ageing process and increase longevity.
However, the expert noted that more research is currently needed in this area to prove this theory.
“Adults need a minimum of 80mg of vitamin C a day but people should ideally strive for at least five portions of fruits and vegetables a day which will naturally provide more than this minimum requirement,” Thompson said.
Vitamin D
Dubbed the “sunshine vitamin”, vitamin D plays a part in building and maintaining the strength of your bones.
Worryingly, low levels of this essential nutrient are linked to a higher risk of premature death.
Thompson said: “The body can make its own vitamin D from sunlight exposure, but levels are too low between October and the end of March.
“Even in the summertime, the use of high SPF sunscreens or covering up will reduce vitamin D synthesis.
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“This means for many people, supplementation with 10 to 25 micrograms (400-100 International Units) of vitamin D each day is a prudent measure to guard against vitamin D deficiency.”
According to the NHS, adults need 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily, which is the equivalent of 400 International units.
Good food sources of the sunshine vitamin include oily fish (salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel), red meat, liver, egg yolks and fortified foods like some mushrooms.
Protein
A good protein intake could help slow metabolic ageing and therefore promote your longevity.
Thompson said: “Substituting some animal protein, especially red and processed meat, for more plant-sourced protein (e.g. legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains) appears to have the biggest influence on longevity.
“This most likely ties into a reduced intake of other nutrients/ substances that co-exist alongside protein in these animal foods, such as saturated fat, salt and certain preservatives.
“Furthermore, it should also be noted that studies have shown that increasing protein intake in middle and older age helps to support the maintenance of muscle mass, which then has various knock-on benefits for quality of life.”
Most adults need around 0.75 grams of protein per kilo of body weight per day, which is about two portions of meat, fish, nuts or tofu, according to the British Heart Foundation.
While all of these nutrients offer some promising benefits, the nutritionist stressed that a variety of healthy plant-based foods is the key to unlocking longevity.
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