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A group of women reduced their biological age by years in just 8 weeks – and you can too
We all want to live a long and happy life, but did you know that implementing certain healthy habits can actually reverse your aging?
A group of women followed an 8-week lifestyle program that you can replicate at home and managed to knock years off their biological ages.
Women lower their biological ages in 8 weeks
In the study in the Aging journal, six women aged 46 to 65 completed an 8-week program that included guidance on diet, sleep, exercise and relaxation, as well as probiotic supplements, phytonutrients and nutritional coaching.
The program was designed to reduce biological aging by supporting DNA methylation, a chemical process that adds small molecules called methyl groups to DNA. This affects how genes and molecules function in the body.
Chronological aging refers to the age you are based on when you were born, while biological aging is how old your cells are. Someone who is 65 can be far younger on the inside if they have looked after their body.
Five of the six participants saw a reduction in their biological age after completing the program, by 4.6 years on average. One reduced it by a huge 11.01 years, another by 4.07, the third by 7.40, another by 3.94 and the final by 1.22 years.
What the participants ate on the lifestyle program
While on the 8-week intervention, this is what the participants ate each week:
- 2 cups dark leafy greens
- 2 cups cruciferous vegetables
- 3 cups colorful vegetables
- � cup pumpkin seeds
- � cup sunflower seeds
- 1-2 beets
- 2 servings of low-glycemic fruit
- 6 oz animal protein
- 3 servings of liver (3 oz)
- 5-10 eggs
- 2 servings methylation adaptogens (1/2 cup berries, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 2 medium cloves garlic, 2 cups green tea or 3 cups oolong tea)
The participants also consumed two probiotic capsules, designed to add more good bacteria into your gut, and greens powder, a supplement which is rich in vitamins and minerals.
They were asked to stay hydrated, not eat between 7 pm and 7 am, include healthy fats and avoid sugar, dairy, grains, legumes and beans too.
Their exercise, sleep and relaxation routine
On top of that, the participants exercised for at least 30 minutes per day for at least five days per week, at an intensity of 60-80% of the maximum perceived exertion.
They also practised breathing exercises twice daily, slept at least seven hours per night and minimized using plastic food containers.
The study concludes that “widely-accessible, cost-effective dietary and lifestyle interventions” may be able to reduce measures of biological aging and impact healthspan, lifespan, and the economic burden of aging.
You don’t need to follow a regime so strict, but implementing some of the lifestyle habits into your own life can keep your body healthy and help you live longer. A new study has found that travel could slow down signs of aging too.
