In a groundbreaking study led by Dr. Karen Fitzgerald, six women between the ages of 45 and 65 experienced an extraordinary decrease in their average biological age of five years in just eight weeks.
These findings offer promising insights into the potential of lifestyle changes to combat the aging process.
The study focused on the distinction between chronological age and biological age.
Chronological age refers to a person's age in years, while biological age reflects the age of the body's cells.
Biological age is affected by many factors, including genetics, lifestyle and environment.
The researchers used Dr. Steven Horvath's epigenetic clock, which measures 353 markers associated with aging-related methylation changes, to estimate the biological age of the participants before and after the intervention.
The intervention included significant changes in diet and lifestyle:
Nutrition:
During the eight weeks they consumed the following foods:
- 2 cups of dark leafy vegetables
- 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables
- 3 cups of colorful vegetables
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 to 2 beets
- Liver (three 3-ounce servings per week)
- Eggs (5 to 10 per week)
They also consumed two food portions that support DNA methylation, which controls gene expression:
- ½ cup berries
- 2 medium cloves of garlic
- 2 cups of green tea (boiled for 10 minutes)
- 3 cups of oolong tea (boiled for 10 minutes)
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric
Lifestyle:
- 7 hours of sleep a night
- 2 probiotic capsules
- 2 servings of vegetable powder
- 8 glasses of water
- 30 minutes of physical activity
- Breathing work twice a day
- 12 hour fast at the end of the day
Results:
Although not all participants followed the protocol in full, those who did experienced the most significant improvements.
One of the participants even returned her biological age by 11 years!
Conclusions:
This research highlights the potential of lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise, sleep and food supplements, to positively impact biological aging.
Although there is no guarantee of extending life expectancy, these findings indicate that interventions of this type may improve the chances of healthy aging and even extend life span.
Dr. Fitzgerald emphasizes that adherence to the plan was crucial, and that nutrition coaching proved to be helpful in strengthening compliance among participants.
These results offer hope and motivation to people seeking to take proactive steps toward healthier aging.
Implications:
As research in this area continues to develop, the implications of these findings may have far-reaching effects on how we approach aging and longevity. They offer new ways to promote general well-being and vitality later in life.
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