Experts explain how you can reverse your biological age
We all wish we could turn back time, taking off the years and the aches and pains that come with getting older. Tech mogul Brian Johnson is so obsessed with staying young that he spends $2 million (£1.6 million) a year trying to de-age his body.
In his quest to stay forever young, Johnson follows a strict diet and workout regime, consuming exactly 1,977 calories a day, exercising for at least an hour and going to bed at 8.30pm. He also injects himself with his 18-year-old’s blood and injects his penis to help him achieve a ‘prolonged erection.’ Apparently, it’s all working. According to the 46-year-old biohacker, he has the lung capacity and fitness levels of an 18-year-old, the heart of a 37-year-old and the skin of a 28-year-old.
But, for those of us looking a cheaper and less bats**t crazy approach to anti-aging, experts have a list of simple, science-backed things you can do to reverse your biological age.
Ageing expert Andrew Steele – author of Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old – shared some easy steps to take with BBC Science Focus.
Maintain your muscle
It’s common knowledge that we all should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense exercise every week. But, we often overlook the importance of adding strength training to our workout routines. We lose roughly five percent of our muscle each decade after the age of 30. But resistance exercise can delay or even reverse this decline, preserving both our bone density and muscle mass.
Ignore fad diets
While fad diets can help you drop those extra pounds fast, Steele says studies show that the weight loss is disproportionately by loss of muscle rather than fat. Given the importance of maintaining muscle as we age mentioned above, they’re not so great when it comes to reversing our age. Instead, experts say we simply need to eat less meat and more vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and whole grains.
Brush your teeth
It may come as a surprise, but brushing your teeth is also key to potentially living longer. Studies find that people with less tooth decay and gum disease seemed to have fewer heart problems than those with worse oral hygiene. While the exact reason for this is unclear, Steele says some suggest it could be connected to chronic inflammation, which can be caused by bacteria on your teeth and can lead to accelerated aging.
Get a good night’s sleep
We all know that we should be getting between seven and nine hours of shut-eye every night. But, it’s not just about feeling refreshed the next day. Sleep is essential for our bodies to repair and regenerate. Lack of sleep has been linked to a range of health problems, including an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s.
