Aging: that is the subject of my book How Not to Age. This video will give you an idea of the vast amount of evidence that I am covering in the book. Check it out.
According to a study of more than 400,000 people, replacing just 3% of animal protein calories with plant protein was associated with a 10% reduction in overall mortality risk. That works out to be about an extra year of life, exchanging just 3 percent of any animal protein with plant protein, and egg protein was the worst, namely egg whites. Swapping 3 percent of the calories in egg whites for plant protein was associated with a more than 20 percent reduction in overall mortality, worse than red meat. But it is not just about adding years to your life, but life to your years. What about changes in dietary intake of animal versus plant protein and unhealthy ageing?
Healthy aging is defined as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional capacity that enables well-being in old age”. Nobody wants to be just a vegetable, and you may be able to avoid that by eating more vegetables. Higher plant protein intake was associated with less accumulation of deficits, based on functional impairments, self-reported health and vitality, mental health and illness, and use of health services.
Swapping just 1 percent of plant protein calories for animal protein led to significantly less deficit accumulation. Now you may be thinking duh, animal protein and animal fat travel together in the same foods, so maybe this is just an effect of saturated fat. But no, even after accounting for fat, there still seemed to be something about the animal. versus plant protein sources, although it is not yet clear whether the beneficial health effects are due to avoiding the harmful effects associated with animal foods or the beneficial effects of plants, although it may be a little of both.
A recent review in a dermatology journal on the role of a whole food, plant-based diet in preventing and reversing skin aging emphasized this point. A whole food plant-based diet is not the same as a vegan diet. You can have a terribly unhealthy vegan diet. As a doctor, “vegan” simply tells me what you don’t eat; but in reality you also have to like to eat your vegetables. But when you do, a whole food, plant-based diet can help prevent, and in some cases reverse, some of the major chronic diseases in the United States, as well as the potential for younger-looking skin, due to lengthening telomeres, maximizing the antioxidant potential of our cells and also removing harmful carcinogens and aging toxins, known as gerontotoxins, from entering our bloodstream.
Not surprisingly, the highest life expectancy of any formally described population in the world is that of Adventist vegetarians in Loma Linda, California, one of the world’s original five “blue zones.” The average life expectancy of Adventist vegetarian men and women is in their mid-eighties, six to ten years longer than the general California population, with vegetarians, exercising, eating nuts, being underweight, and never smoking. , and they live between nine and eleven years longer than those who lack those qualities. So that’s like “Ten Years of Life” at stake.
However, the substantial gains in life expectancy would only be worthwhile if they were also accompanied by a longer period of life. good quality life. Although general well-being has not been directly measured, vegetarian Adventists have been recorded to take fewer medications and have fewer overnight hospital stays, surgical procedures, and X-ray examinations. And the reduced prevalence of several chronic diseases would presumably make life it was worth more.
The most feared disease associated with aging is probably Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is one of our fastest growing epidemics, affecting one in 10 people over the age of 65 and half of all people over the age of 85. Alzheimer’s is the leading type, and indeed the most feared. So when we talk about “Plant-Based Diets for Healthy Aging,” the emerging evidence that diet plays an important role in preventing age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease is particularly intriguing. It has been shown that a diet rich in fruits, grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts and seeds can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by more than half.
This is the studio they’re talking about. The so-called MIND diet, which emphasizes natural plant foods, specifically including berries, healthier fruits and vegetables, healthier vegetables, while limiting intake of animal and high-saturated fat foods such as meat and dairy.
The strictest adherence to the MIND diet was associated with a 53 percent reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, even moderate adherence seemed to reduce the risk by a third. Overall, participants who showed high adherence to the diet had cognitive functioning equivalent to a person who was 7.5 years younger.
Not surprisingly, people who ate meat, including poultry and fish, were more than twice as likely to go crazy as their vegetarian counterparts (relative risk 2.18, p=0.065). And we’re talking three times the risk when past meat consumption was factored in. This may be because plant-based diets are known to preserve body tissues from both oxidative stress and inflammation, characteristics of these types of degenerative diseases. That may be why berries are so protective, as they are so rich in antioxidants, and in terms of inflammation, those who avoid meat show a greater abundance of anti-inflammatory compounds flowing through their systems and higher levels. low in proinflammatory indicators such as C-reactive protein.
Dietary factors also influence the effect of stress on cognitive decline. Diets characterized by a high intake of animal protein, saturated fat, and added sugars, along with a low intake of plant-based foods, can increase the secretion of corticosteroids, stress hormones such as cortisol from the adrenal glands, which can promote development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Then there are the gerontotoxins, such as AGEs, advanced glycation end products, in our diet that may be a factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Safe foods, foods that are low in AGEs, include starches such as whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables, while the worst sources in the diet are grilled, fried, or broiled meats.
The cooking process is important. Chicken breast has an AGE of 1,000 KU when boiled in water, like chicken soup or something. But that same chicken breast goes up to 9,000 when grilled. Here is a list of the 40 most AGE-contaminated foods tested, in terms of AGEs per serving. As you can see, almost everything is meat: chicken, bacon, hot dogs and more on the list. I tell people to choose raw nuts and seeds to avoid AGEs, but even roasted and roasted nuts don’t come close to making the list.
Now, of course, it’s not just diet. We need enough sleep, rest, and physical activity. For example, daily brisk walks were associated with a 40 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s later in life, and smoking may double the risk of developing dementia. But in terms of preventing Alzheimer’s with diet, the key takeaways are as follows: Cut back on added sugars, saturated fats, animal products, and processed foods in general, while eating more plants, especially vegetables and beans. , fruits, especially berries. and reduce added salt.
Cited sources:
- Huang J, Liao LM, Weinstein SJ, Sinha R, Graubard BI, Albanes D. Association between plant and animal protein intake and general and cause-specific mortality. JAMA Intern Med. 2020;180(9):1173-84.
- Ortolá R, Struijk EA, García-Esquinas E, Rodríguez-Artalejo F, Lopez-Garcia E. Changes in dietary intake of animal and vegetable protein and unhealthy aging. Am J Med. 2020;133(2):231-9.e7.
- Norman K, Klaus S. Veganism, Aging, and Longevity: New Takes on Old Concepts. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2020;23(2):145-50.
- Solway J, McBride M, Haq F, Abdul W, Miller R. Diet and dermatology: the role of a whole food, plant-based diet in preventing and reversing skin aging: a review. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2020;13(5):38-43.
- Fraser GE, Shavlik DJ. Ten years of life: Is it a matter of choice? Arch Intern Med. 2001;161(13):1645-52.
- Sherchan P, Miles F, Orlich M, et al. Effects of Lifestyle Factors on Cognitive Resilience: Commentary on “What This Sunny, Religious California Town Teaches Us About Living Longer.” Transl Carrera Res. 2020;11(2):161-4.
- Sherzai D, Sherzai A. Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease: our most urgent health care priority. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2019;13(5):451-61.
- Kahleova H, Levin S, Barnard ND. Plant-based diets for healthy aging. J Am Coll Nutr. 2021;40(5):478-9.
- Morris MC, Tangney CC, Wang Y, Sacks FM, Bennett DA, Aggarwal NT. MIND diet associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s dementia. 2015;11(9):1007-14.
- Giem P, Beeson WL, Fraser GE. The incidence of dementia and the consumption of animal products: preliminary findings from the Adventist Health Study. Neuroepidemiology. 1993;12(1):28-36.
- Pistollato F, Battino M. Role of plant-based diets in the prevention and regression of metabolic syndrome and neurodegenerative diseases. Food Sci Technol Trends. 2014;40(1):62-81.
- Rajaram S, Jones J, Lee GJ. Plant-based dietary patterns, plant foods, and age-related cognitive decline. nutrition av. 2019;10(Supplement_4):S422-S436.
- Szczechowiak K, Diniz BS, Leszek J. Diet and Alzheimer’s dementia: nutritional approach to modulate inflammation. Pharmacol Biochem Behavior. 2019;184:172743.
- Abate G, Marziano M, Rungratanawanich W, Memo M, Uberti D. Nutrition and aging: a focus on Alzheimer’s disease. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:7039816.
- Uribarri J, Woodruff S, Goodman S, et al. Advanced glycation end products in foods and a practical guide to their reduction in the diet. J Am Diet Association. 2010;110(6):911-16.e12.
.
