Could Your Diet Affect How You Age?

3 weeks ago, I attended a lecture as an alumni at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, to listen to Prof. Alisa Welch a lecturer of Nutritional Epidemiology discuss the subject of "What we eat matter's to how we age" (find article here and here). Admittedly, some of the very medical based content went 'over my head' but I found out some really interesting information and so I have combined my learning at this lecture with further research of my own - to (hopefully!) make it easy and understandable for you all!

Now, I am not going to be telling you just what food's we should and shouldn't be eating, but rather linking our food to the major risk factor's and medical conditions commonly found within an ageing population.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN RISK FACTORS?

1) The collagen structure for bone and muscle mass

2) Reduced physical activity, smoking and increased alcohol intake

These risk factors and resulting bone diseases, increase the risk of falls and fractures (DID YOU KNOW: 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men over the age of 50 will still require a walking aid after experiencing a fall or fracture)

WHY DOES THIS RELATE TO ME?

I am well aware that a lot of the people reading this may be younger than 50 years old (however obviously their are some over too!), but ageing happens as a slow process and is continuous from the age of 30 years old. We see a main loss of bone density and muscle mass as well as a loss of sex hormones. Women find that they experience a steep decline at the stage of menopause.

HOW DOES DIET PREVENT AND LOOK AFTER MUSCULO-SKELETAL HEALTH?

Diet is a modifiable lifestyle factor for looking after our muscle and bones. However we need to make allowances for the individual, such as: height, weight, build, gender and age. Alisa Welch looked specifically into the properties of 3 micro nutrients. There are many more that could be touched upon here, but that's a blog post for another day! Here is what they were and their affect:

1) Magnesium = It was found that an increase in magnesium intake, increases the amount of fat free muscle mass (by 2 - 6.8%) and leg expulsive power (by 25%). A reduced amount of magnesium in one's diet can cause muscle weakness.

2) Vitamin C = Vitamin C increases muscle mass by 1.9-3%. The recommended amount of vitamin C per day is 80mg, but only approx 60% of people in the UK are lacking in this. This can lead to scurvy or oesteomalacia (painful muscles).

3) Vitamin D = Findings suggest that higher vitamin D concentrations, which are easily modifiable through nutritional supplementation, are associated with longer telomere length. Telomeres are genetic material found on the ends of chromosomes; as cells age, telomeres naturally get shorter. Therefore, the length of the white blood cell telomere is a good marker of the age of the cell: the shorter the telomere, the closer it is to death, resulting in increased ageing (For more information click here).

SO WHAT SHOULD I BE EATING?

1) Foods high in Magnesium = Spinach, Seeds, Lima Beans, Tuna, Brown Rice, Almonds, Dark Chocolate, Avocados, Non-fat Yogurt and Bananas.

2) Foods high in Vitamin C = Guava, Bell Peppers, Kiwi, Strawberries, Oranges, Papaya, Brocolli, Tomato, Kale and Snow Peas.

3) Foo

3) The Rainbow! = Eating a variety of different coloured fruit and vegetables, that contain a variety of antioxidants and phytochemicals, mean that you absorb a well balanced diet which has direct affects on age-related diseases. For more information click here.

SUMMARY

You can conserve skeletal muscle mass and function by:

1) Eating well from all main food groups - we need to reduce cake/biscuits/crisps/general 'junk food' to make space for increased micro nutrient dense food and moderate our alcohol intake. However there are are no set guidelines yet.

2) Ensure you get enough Vitamin D - you get this mostly through sun exposure, but it can also be found in some foods. However living in the UK (where sun is not so common!), supplements may be beneficial - however always check with your GP first.

3) Make time for Physical Activity - just keep moving! It doesn't need to be strenuous exercise, all movement will contribute to keeping our bones and muscles strong!

Lots of Love

Ruth xxx