The key to reducing biological age? Research reveals: Using diet to regulate DNA methylation can make the body up to 11 years younger
_ healthorn Expert Q&A_Q: Muscles plummet after menopause? More susceptible to muscle loss and weakened immunity?
A: As age increases and estrogen secretion changes, the risk of muscle loss will gradually increase. About one in five women after menopause is at risk of muscle loss. When muscle loss is excessive, it may increase the chances of falls, disability, and long-term bed rest.
In addition to appropriate exercise training (including aerobic exercise to improve cardiopulmonary function and resistance training to increase muscle mass), balanced nutrition is also required to prevent muscles from being broken down into daily energy needs and reduce muscle loss. Choosing protein sources with high-quality protein (PDCAAS=1) can more efficiently increase the raw materials needed for muscle production. In addition, 28 kinds of daily vitamins and minerals should be supplemented to make up for nutritional gaps.
Can age-related problems be reversed by following a specific diet or lifestyle pattern? According to statistics from the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare, 80% of middle-aged and elderly people in Taiwan suffer from at least one chronic disease, which may not only be a risk factor for death, but also place a burden on the medical care system. A recent study published in the journal “Aging” pointed out that regulating the “methylation” process in the body through diet may help prevent chronic diseases and extend life expectancy.
Is diet a key factor in regulating methylation? Study: 4 lifestyle changes to lower biological age
Virginia Commonwealth University in the United States recruited 6 women with an average age of 57.9 years old. They were asked to complete a complete 8-week program, including methylation diet, sleep, exercise, relaxation guidance, and supplementation of probiotics and phytonutrients. etc.
The research team explained that DNA methylation is a chemical reaction in the body in which small molecules called “methyl groups” are added to DNA, proteins or other molecules. DNA methylation is regarded as a “biological aging clock” in the academic community and is a crucial indicator for the study of life expectancy.
The healthy diet and life plan planned by the research team is as follows:
Diet: 2 cups dark vegetables, 2 cups cruciferous vegetables, 3 cups multi-colored vegetables, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, 2 servings of methylated adaptogen foods (such as berries, rosemary fragrant, turmeric, garlic, green tea or oolong tea), 1-2 beets, 85 grams of animal liver per week, 1 egg.
Nutritional supplements: 2 probiotic capsules, 2 spoons of Green Powder.
Healthy habits: exercise for at least 30 minutes every day, practice breathing exercises twice, sleep for at least 7 hours, and fast for 12 hours after dinner (7 pm to 7 am).
Daily water intake: drink at least 8 glasses of water.
After an 8-week project, the research team analyzed the subjects’ genetic sequencing and found that the biological age of five subjects had decreased by an average of 4.60 years. Judging from the individual subjects’ conditions, the decline The degree ranges from 1.22 to 11.01 years. With the exception of one subject, who did not differ significantly, all subjects were younger than their chronological age at the start of the program.
Can dietary regulation of methylation prevent aging? Experts say it may reduce the risk of chronic diseases
Study author Kara N. Fitzgerald said that the results indicate that changes in physiological age are not related to disease improvement, but it can be inferred that this healthy lifestyle not only has the opportunity to reverse the body’s underlying aging mechanism, but also may achieve through the transformation of this mechanism. Effectiveness in preventing chronic diseases. However, although the physiological age of the women in the test was reversed, the study sample was too small and the lack of control group reference brought limitations to the results.
Fitzgerald believes that in terms of life planning, adjusting the body’s “methylation” through diet may be a key factor in reducing biological age. “Previous studies have pointed out that people with a higher biological age have a higher risk of chronic diseases than ordinary people; and people with chronic diseases such as diabetes have inherited methylation patterns, and dietary adjustments may help to change such patterns, thus Reduce the risk of chronic diseases.”
Excess and deficiency can cause physical and mental problems! Journal reveals two major abnormalities in DNA methylation
To sum up, achieving the balance of “methylation” in the body through the improvement of diet and living habits may be an important measure to increase life expectancy and reduce physiological age in the future. However, over-methylation or under-methylation of DNA in the body is both too much and too little, and will have negative effects on the body. The guidelines for the distribution of “Cureus” journals list the symptoms or manifestations of the two:
Undermethylation:
Easily tired, insomnia, and depressed.
Addictive behavior or obsessive-compulsive disorder, or even delusions.
Seasonal allergies.
The pain threshold (Pain threshold, which refers to the lowest limit of tissue response due to painful stimulation) is low.
Prone to digestive problems.
Frequent headaches.
Higher sexual desire.
Self-motivated, determined and perfectionistic.
Hypermethylation:
Prone to high levels of anxiety and hyperactivity
Speech rate is faster when speaking.
Low libido.
Eyes and mouth are often dry.
It is easy to have paranoid thoughts, leading to paranoid personality disorder, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.
It is easy to have sleep disorders.
The pain threshold is high.
High artistic or musical ability.
Venkataramana Kandi, author of the guideline, pointed out that proper methylation is crucial for many biochemical pathways in the body, but over-methylation and under-methylation can lead to complications of varying severity and increase physical and mental health risks. When the above problems occur, it is recommended to seek medical advice immediately to clarify the condition, or to find out the root problem through functional medicine testing. Do not take unidentified drugs or nutritional supplements without medical advice to avoid illness or symptoms. deterioration.
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