pizza 1179404 640One of the best ways to promote health and longevity is through the food we eat. Food can be medicine or it can be toxic, requiring us to seek medication down the line.
There are ways to measure the effects that certain foods have on our body’s aging process. They are called telomeres. Telomeres are the caps on the end of chromosomes that protect DNA from damage. These telomere caps work much like the plastic tips on the end of shoelaces, to keep them from unraveling.
Telomeres can shorten and lengthen in response to the foods we eat and the stress we experience. When telomeres shorten it can trigger cells to malfunction and die. Shorter telomeres have been linked to conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Telomeres slowly and gradually shorten as we age, but the speed of their shortening can be controlled by lifestyle factors and diet. So though you can’t stop aging, you can definitely put he brakes on the aging process.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the effect of multiple food groups on telomere length. They found that eating the following foods can speed up your aging clock by shortening your telomeres prematurely. These popular foods and beverages are soda, processed meat, industrially-raised meat and alcohol.
Processed meat includes products like pepperoni, hot dogs and bologna. Researchers found that people who consumed one or more servings of processed meat each week had shorter telomeres that those you didn’t eat any processed meat. Not only is processed meat made from low quality meat, it also typically contains preservatives and other chemicals.
The topic of meat, red meat in particular, is controversial. But consuming high quality red meat from pasture-raised, grass fed animals can be extremely beneficial to some people. It can bolster the immune system with zinc and fortify the blood with iron. The trick to healthy meat consumption is to avoid commercially-raised meat pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. And of course, moderation is key with red meat, consuming it only a few times a week and not every day.
Red meat can be hard to digest for some people. Taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or bitters before you eat meat will boost stomach acid and help the digestion process. Consuming resistant starch when eating red meat is also recommended. Resistant starch is they type of good carb that helps burn fat and weakens the effect red meat has on telomeres. Foods that contain resistant starch include green bananas, green plantains, yuca and lentils.
Lastly alcohol can greatly influence telomeres. A study presented at the 2010 meeting of the American Association of Cancer research found alcohol to have a profound effect on telomere shortening. And of course, the more you drink the more they shorten. People who had 4 drinks a week or more had dramatically shorter telomeres than those who drank occasionally or moderately. In some cases the telomeres of people who drank heavily were half as short as non-abusers. But even in the case of moderate drinkers, alcohol may speed up aging.
While having a glass or two of red wine with dinner may provide stress relief and antioxidants, it doesn’t have a positive effect on telomeres. Taking a walk after dinner and eating organic red grapes several times a week can have the same beneficial effects on health as drinking wine without the aging side effects.
Detoxification is also very important for reversing the effect of aging and telomere shortening. While the body detoxes naturally, it is always a good idea to do a cleanse or two each year to help unclog sluggish detox channels. One detox a year can boost the body’s detox ability throughout the year. The 21 Day Body Makeover can help open detox channels, clear built up toxins from the body and break the sugar addiction so you aren’t a slave to soda.
The right foods and detox routine can have you looking and feeling younger than your chronological age.
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