Ever wanted to eat your way to eternal youth?
Well, we can’t quite promise that, but we can point you in the right direction of snacks and ingredients that will help your body fend off the ageing process, according to science and all that.
How’s that for a compromise?
Here we go…
1. Watermelon
Not only are watermelons super yummy and refreshing in the heat, but the high water content of this fruit helps keep the body hydrated, keeping skin plump and supple. The juicy slice is a good source of lycopene – a member of the plant pigments family called ‘carotenoids’ – which works to strengthen skin by blocking the activity of enzymes that break down collagen, which is vital for cell vitality. **Tomatoes **are also an excellent source, as indicated by their bright red shade.
2. Yellow Fin Tuna Fish
Yes, we’re getting precise. Yellow fin tuna fish is particularly high in niacin, also known as vitamin B3. Research has shown that this little vit can help slow down the ageing process. To get sciencey, vitamin B helps increase NADPH (an enzyme type) levels, which is key in antioxidant reactions, lowering oxidative damage. Other foods high in the stuff include shellfish, beef liver, peanuts, mushrooms and sunflower seeds.
3. Olives
Whether as a bar snack served on a toothpick, or as a luxuriously thick oil, the goodness packed in olive fruits are a wonder in the world of anti-ageing, as proved by it’s presence in beauty lotions and potions. As well as being a healthy source of fat, olives are loaded with polyphenols, an antioxidant that protects against degenerative diseases, especially neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.
4. Blueberries
These little guys are known for their anti-ageing properties, being packed with antioxidants. Anthocyanin – a type of flavonoid – that gives the in the berries their bright colour help slow down ageing by aiding skins own defence against sun damage and fighting inflammation, which causes ageing due to damaging tissue. Other foods high in the stuff include: cranberries, raspberries, grapes, **red cabbage **and **aubergine **skin. Yep, basically any bright coloured earthly good.
5. Dark Chocolate
The high cocoa content in this bittersweet treat has plentiful health benefit, being antioxidant rich. The higher cocoa content you go, the better. But did you know dark choccie actually help keep your brain young and healthy, too? Cocoa flavanols have been linked to increase memory function and research has suggested they can help improve the function of a specific part of the brain - dentate gyrus – that is responsible for age related memory loss.
6. Avocados
We know you’re bored of hearing how great avocados are, but we simply can’t help it. The anti-ageing properties of the food work both to keep the mind and body youthful, protecting against cell damage by fighting free radicals. The green fruit is particularly high in carotenoid antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which decrease oxidative stress. This alongside other amino acids help boost skin’s vitality by reducing age spots, healing skin scars and soothing inflammation.
Other foods high in the carotenoid combo are leafy greens – think kale, spinach, and broccoli.
7. Red Wine
OK technically not a food, but we are all guilty of a liquid meal every now and again. Red wine is packed with resveratrol, a type of anti-oxidant found in the skin of red grapes, raspberries and peanuts. It helps to promote normal cell reproduction and reduce inflammation in the blood vessel walls, aiding vascular health. It also stimulations the production of sirt1 (a type of sirtuin.) Sirt 1 is a serum that speed cell energy production and blocks diseases.
Another drink, anyone?
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