There’s no shortage of advice on how to age well, but according to new research, the answer might be in your pantry.
Researchers from the University of Washington found that a diet rich in turmeric, green and oolong tea, garlic, rosemary, and colourful berries like blueberries and raspberries may help reverse epigenetic ageing.
Unlike how many wrinkles are on your face, this type of ageing happens inside your cells and determines how fast – or slow – your body ages, regardless of the number of candles on your birthday cake.
The eight-week study, which involved a group of healthy men aged 50 to 72, combined diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management. They found that those who ate more methylation-supportive or methyl adaptogen foods showed signs of being biologically younger by the end.
Put simply, methyl adaptogens are natural compounds in food that can positively influence your genes. They help switch on things like collagen production and cell repair, and switch off some of the not-so-helpful age-related changes.
How to eat your way to healthier ageing
You don’t need to overhaul your whole diet or go on a crash diet. Adding more of those six foods in small, sustainable ways goes a long way.
Start with tea: Swap your second coffee for a cup of green or oolong tea. You’ll still get a gentle energy boost – minus the jitters.
Spice up dinner: Add turmeric and garlic to soups, stews, and marinades. A sprinkle of rosemary over roast veggies or lamb works a treat.
Snack smart: Keep a punnet of berries in the fridge for snacking or toss them into your morning muesli or smoothie.
Think balance, not extremes: This research supports the kind of eating many of us grew up with – whole foods, home cooking, and fresh ingredients.
Why what you eat matters more as you age
Once we hit our 40s and 50s, many of us start to notice small shifts in energy, skin tone, or how quickly we bounce back after a long day. It’s a natural part of ageing, but this study offers a hopeful twist: the idea that our lifestyle choices, particularly what we eat, can help slow things down at a cellular level.
While the study was small and focused on men, the researchers believe the findings will apply more broadly with further research. For now, it’s a reminder that we have more power over our ageing process than we might think – and it doesn’t have to come in the form of a pill or a pricey face cream.
