4 Super High Antioxidant Foods That Should Be a Part of Your Anti-Aging Diet

Antioxidant has become one of the most important buzz words of the decade. It seems that every time you peak up a health related magazine there’s more news about the health benefits of an antioxidant diet. These free radical scavengers which mop up the damage caused by the effects of toxins and the natural aging process on the body play a key role in preventing chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer as well as slowing down the effects of aging on the body and the brain. Unfortunately, most people don’t get enough high antioxidant foods in their diet, particularly if they eat a typical American diet consisting mostly of processed foods.

One way to increase your blood level of antioxidants is to choose those foods which are the highest in antioxidant levels. Most of these foods consist of fruits and vegetables with four foods being particularly high in antioxidant levels. In fact, these foods are considered to be some of the highest antioxidant foods known. Antioxidant levels are measured by using a scale called the ORAC or oxygen radical absorbance capacity which gives a value that allows you to compare the antioxidant potential of one food with another. Here are four foods that measure the highest on the ORAC scale:

High antioxidant food: Cranberries

These brilliantly red berries that grace the table at Thanksgiving celebrations do more than just dress up the turkey. They’re a rich source of proanthocyanidins, a class of antioxidants which appear to have an anti-aging effect on brain cells, most likely related to its ability to protect brain cells from oxidative damage. It appears to help offset the loss of memory and coordination that occurs with advancing age and may play a role in protecting against certain neurological diseases associated with aging. If you can’t appreciate the tart taste of these berries, there are cranberry supplements available at most health food stores.

High antioxidant food: Blueberries

Blueberries are another high antioxidant food that are though to help preserve brain function due to their high anthocyanidin content. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience showed that blueberries appears to offset age related short term memory loss and loss of coordination associated with aging in rats. With a measured ORAC value of 8,963, it’s not surprising that blueberries pack a potent antioxidant punch. Blueberries also have powerful antioxidant properties which helps to reduce the effects of photoaging and preserve the collagen support structure of skin.

High antioxidant food: Beans

It may surprise you to learn that beans measure high on the antioxidant scale. Three types of beans with a particularly high antioxidant potential are the small red bean (ORAC = 13,272), the red kidney bean (ORAC = 13,259), and the pinto bean (ORAC = 11,864). In general, darker colored beans are associated with higher levels of flavonoids and thus have a higher antioxidant potential. Beans are a simple, inexpensive way to add extra antioxidant power to your diet.

High antioxidant food: Aronia black chokeberry

This small, dark berry with its rich, purple coloration has an ORAC value of 16,062, one of the highest known for any fruit or vegetable. This puts it in a class by itself in terms of antioxidant potential. Studies are currently ongoing to determine the potential of the chokeberry to prevent a host of age-related disease such as cancer and heart disease. Like the blueberry, they’re a rich source of anthocyanidins and have anti-inflammatory activity which plays such a critical role in aging. Expect to hear more about this amazing berry in the future. In the meantime, you may want to add more of these small berries to your diet.

Antioxidants appear to play a key role in slowing down the aging process and adding these four foods to your diet can be a simple and inexpensive way to protect yourself against age related diseases.

Should You Use Kinerase as an Anti-Aging Skin Treatment?

An anti-aging cream that’s received a great deal of attention in the last few years is Kinerase. Kinerase is a topical agent applied topically to the skin that’s being touted for its ability to reduce the visible signs of skin aging. It’s available without a prescription and is currently being marketed as a wrinkle reduction cream through physician offices, medical spas, and online. It’s claimed that kinerase gives similar skin anti-aging effects to the prescription retinoids without the side effects frequently seen with retinoids such as skin redness and peeling. Does kinerase really live up to the marketing claims?

What exactly is Kinerase and what gives it the ability to function as an anti-aging cream? The active ingredient in kinerase is a plant component known as kinetin. Kinetin is a plant derived component that functions in the plant as a growth hormone like substance to help retard aging of the plant. Because kinetin has shown the ability to slow down plant aging, it’s thought to have some anti-aging properties when applied topically to human skin. Kinetin has also been shown to have antioxidant properties which may help to reduce the effects of free radicals on human skin cells. Another important property of kinectin is that it’s been shown to aid in repair of DNA , the genetic material found in every cell in the body, including skin cells.

A study carried out at the University of California in Irvine looked at different strengths of Kinerase and their effects on human skin over a 48 week period. The groups receiving the Kinerase showed significant improvement in the texture of the skin, the appearance of fine wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. Although the results of this study show support for the topical anti-aging effects of Kinerase, double blind, placebo-controlled studies are still absent and it may be premature to say that Kinerase is as effective as the well studied, time tested topical retinoids.

Although Kinerase needs further study in order to be recommended as an alternative to prescription strength retinoid preparations, patient reviews of this product have been favorable. The preponderance of patients using Kinerase as an anti-aging cream report improvement in skin roughness, uneven skin pigmentation, and improvement in the appearance of fine wrinkles. Plus, its antioxidant effects and its ability to repair DNA make it likely that it would have some anti-aging benefits for aging skin.

Should you consider using Kinerase as an anti-aging skin treatment? If you make this choice, it won’t come cheaply. A half ounce of Kinerase based cream can cost over a hundred dollars. If you are unable to tolerate use of prescription strength retinoids due to skin irritation and redness, Kinerase may be a reasonable alternative. If you’re currently on prescription strength retinoids and are tolerating them well, Kinerase may not offer any additional advantages for you and it may be best to wait until studies comparing the effectiveness of retinoids versus Kinerase are completed before jumping on the Kinerase bandwagon.

What Causes Wrinkles and How to Prevent Them

Although they seem to be an inevitable part of aging, there’s much that can be done to prevent wrinkles from forming and to slow down their progression once they do form. First, it’s important to understand what causes wrinkles to develop in the first place.

There are actually two generally types of wrinkles known as static wrinkles and dynamic wrinkles. Dynamic wrinkles are creases that are only present when there is movement of the face. This type of wrinkle tends to completely disappear when the face is at rest. In contrast, static wrinkles are present whether the face is moving or stationary. Dynamic wrinkles are generally the first wrinkles to develop as part of the aging process, although over time dynamic wrinkles can become static as the elasticity and the collagen support structure are lost and the skin is unable to snap back as readily.

Dynamic wrinkles can be treated by use of Botox injections which paralyzes the underlying facial muscle, resulting in decreased facial movement over the wrinkle which improves their appearance. Static wrinkles aren’t affected by Botox since they’re present even when the face is at rest. Static wrinkles require more aggressive measures such as injection with Restylane which acts as a filler to smooth out the static crease. Laser resurfacing can also have some effect on superficial static wrinkles.

Can static wrinkles be prevented? Although there is a component of natural aging that’s based on an individual’s underlying genetics, most wrinkles form as a result of overexposure to ultraviolet light. Exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun causes certain changes to occur in the underlying dermis that damages the underlying collagen and elastin structure which gives skin its support. When collagen and elastin fibers are lost, the skin becomes more lax and creases and sagging tend to develop. The best way to avoid aging related to exposure to ultraviolet light is to wear a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB light with an SPF factor of at least fifteen.

There are certain topical agents that can help to stimulate collagen synthesis and prevent the formation of static wrinkles. These include products containing retinoic acids, alpha hydroxyl acids, peptides, and Vitamin C. Topical Vitamin E is also thought to have some skin anti-aging properties, possibly related to its ability to reduce free radical damage to skin cells.

As you can see static wrinkles can be prevented to a great extent by avoiding sun exposure and using topical products that help to stimulate collagen synthesis and reduce free radical damage. Once static wrinkles form, fillers and laser resurfacing can help to smooth out the appearance of superficial lines.

How to Prevent Loss of Muscle Mass With Aging

One of the consequences of aging is the shrinkage and loss of muscle tissue. This can have a variety of negative health consequences including a decrease in strength and mobility, loss of muscle tone, as well as weight gain secondary to the drop in metabolism related to the loss of muscle mass. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to help preserve muscle tissue as you age. Here are some anti-aging tips for preventing age related loss of muscle:

Start a resistance training program.

This is the most important anti-aging step you can take to preserve muscle mass. The reality is that without a resistance training program, you’ll lose muscle mass at a rate of around three percent every decade after the age of fifty. Resistance training can help to prevent critical loss of muscle tissue as well as build strength and increase mobility. Resistance training doesn’t necessarily have to involve weight lifting. You can use your own body resistance to build muscle by doing push-ups and sit-ups as well as by using resistance training aids such as weighted balls and resistance bands. If you’ve never taken part in a resistance training program before, schedule a session with a personal trainer to help formulate a plan for you. It’ll be well worth the investment.

Increase your protein intake.

Many older Americans fall short when it comes to protein consumption. If you’re unsure as to whether you’re getting enough protein in your diet to preserve muscle mass, use this simple formula. Convert your weight to kilograms by multiplying by 0.45. This will tell you how many grams of protein you should be consuming each day. (one gram per kilogram of body weight). Even if you don’t enjoy eating meat, you can still use vegetarian protein sources such as tofu and tempeh to get your daily protein quota.

Watch you vitamin D intake.

More attention has been focused on vitamin D recently and the anti-aging benefits it provides. Not only are studies showing it may prevent some of the chronic disease processes associated with aging, it also may help to preserve bone and muscle tissue. Since most foods are not good sources of vitamin D with the exception of fatty fish and fortified eggs, try to get ten minutes of direct sunlight on most days which should provide you with your daily vitamin D quota. Some experts are now recommending that a vitamin D supplement be taken on a daily basis, particularly if you live in an area that doesn’t get a great deal of direct sunlight.

Get your potassium.

A recent study showed that potassium may have an anti-aging role in preventing loss of muscle mass. The recommended daily intake of potassium is 3,500 milligrams. This particular study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that older people who consumed at least this amount were better able to preserve muscle tissue than those who didn’t. To increase your potassium intake, try adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. Oranges and bananas are particularly good sources of potassium.

Loss of muscle mass is not an inevitable result of aging. Maintaining an active lifestyle, adding some resistance training, and altering your diet can help you maintain your muscle mass even into an advanced age. Why not give these muscle preserving, anti-aging strategies a try?

Have a Little Health With Your Meal

Not all anti-aging processes have to do with creams and facewashes. An anti-aging treatment can be anything from a special spa treatment to buying different products at the grocery store, and now, even ordering speciall-themed foods at restaurants.

The association recently asked more than 1,200 professional chefs in the United States to list the trendiest items on their menus. Out of almost 200 items, pomegranate was 16th, fresh fruits were 61st and scallops were 100th - these are all foods rich in antioxidants.And these preferences aren’t confined to your favorite dining destination. More and more restaurants are springing up with the purpose of being a healthy body-mind haven. The chef at a spa cafe called Sprouts in Arizona believes diners are drawn to the pomegranate salad for its sweet taste and the health benefits.

Even if you’re not indulging in a spa-themed meal, you can still integrate anti-oxidants into your daily diet.

Read more at my Anti-Aging Blog.

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