7 steps to beauty and anti-ageing: nutrition and worldview make the difference

It is said that the way a man looks at twenty owes to nature, while the way he looks at fifty owes only to himself. But this wisdom has been confirmed by science. However, far from being about the use of some miracle creams, it is more about the overall lifestyle. This is because it fundamentally influences the activity of our genes and thus the speed of our ageing, including our physical appearance.

Gene activity can be influenced by almost all factors we are exposed to during our lives – nutrition, exercise, environment, amount and quality of sleep, stress, but also negative or positive emotions and thoughts. Here is a selection of a few steps that are definitely worth taking. We can influence not only our physical appearance, but also the overall rate of ageing, which will also reduce the risk of many diseases associated with the ageing process – including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, for example.

1. Think positive

This is a point you might not have expected in the first place, but recent research shows that our thoughts and emotions can have a big impact on the health of the whole body and the rate of ageing. In fact, when emotions are strong, or we feel them for a long time, it triggers a series of biochemical reactions in our body that can affect the activity of a number of important genes.

Research published last year by an Italian research team led by Giovanni Fiorito focused on the well-known fact that people with low socioeconomic status (which is just a better-sounding term for poverty) live to a significantly lower age. One reason for this, of course, is poorer lifestyle and health care, but this only partly explains the difference. In fact, scientists have found significantly higher rates of a biochemical change called DNA methylation in the cells of people with low socioeconomic status, which substantially reduces the activity of the genes involved. Increased methylation not only increases the risk of a number of serious diseases, but its increase is also typical of the ageing process.

The increased methylation rate is of course partly due to a poorer lifestyle, but scientists believe that negative emotions and frustration also play a large part. So it’s not that the increased methylation is directly caused by low income – rather, it’s that we are distressed by the situation, perceive it as an injustice, or even feel envious of people with higher incomes. A person who thinks positively and can be grateful for what little he or she has can significantly influence the intensity of epigenetic reactions in his or her body, and thus has a higher chance of living to a riper age.

In addition to negative emotions, chronic stress and lack of sleep can also play a large part in the increased rate of ageing.

2. Limit energy intake

Of course, those who lose weight usually look better, not to mention that obesity is a factor that affects the activity of our genes in a significantly negative way. However, the reduction in caloric intake itself has a positive effect. In fact, this fact will greatly help to regulate the epigenetic reactions by which individual genes are switched on and off. This can significantly affect the rate of ageing and life expectancy.

3. Don’t overdo it with sugars

Excessive carbohydrate consumption increases the intensity of inflammatory processes in the body and negatively affects the activity of important genes. Reducing it then has a positive effect on the rate of ageing and even on its visible manifestations – i.e. in particular on reducing the formation of wrinkles.

4. Bet on healthy fats

It is advisable to eliminate some fats from your diet – especially those from fried foods or sausages. However, many have a significantly positive effect on the rate of ageing and physical appearance. This is the case, for example, with omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, which affect an epigenetic reaction called gene methylation (excessive methylation can cause a gene to shut down completely). Omega-3s have a positive effect on skin quality and the overall rate of ageing, as well as, in particular, on brain function in old age. They are found mainly in oily fish, seeds and nuts.

Olive oil is also important as it combines significant antioxidant and epigenetic effects. However, we should not exclude butter, fatty dairy products and eggs. These are a rich source of vitamin K2, which effectively helps to reduce wrinkles. However, the content of this vitamin is significantly higher in products from free-ranging animals (i.e. especially organic or farmed products).

5. Don’t smoke

The well-known fact that smoking significantly increases the risk of lung cancer is not due to the lungs being ‘clogged’ with pollutants. In fact, cigarettes contain a cocktail of more than 7,000 chemicals, some of which have significant epigenetic effects. In fact, they significantly promote the methylation of genes. In addition, the substances in cigarettes also damage the DNA itself, thus significantly increasing the risk of mutations in cell division.

As we have already mentioned, exactly the same processes, i.e. the overall increase in DNA methylation, also occur during ageing, and smoking therefore significantly accelerates this overall ageing. This then translates not only into the quality of the skin, but also into a higher susceptibility to many diseases, including cancer (and far from just lung cancer). Add to this the impaired blood supply to all the tissues and organs in the body (not including the skin) and the effect of smoking on the appearance and speed of ageing can be very significant indeed.

6. Keep moving

Regular exercise, on the other hand, is a significantly positive epigenetic factor and may contribute to slowing down the ageing process. It has a particularly strong effect on the rate of cognitive decline with age.

7. Try dietary supplements

Many substances naturally occurring in our diet have significant epigenetic effects. If we take them in higher concentrations, usually in the form of dietary supplements, we can significantly affect not only the overall rate of aging, but also our physical appearance.

Vitamin K2

This vitamin has recently been mentioned in particular in connection with osteoporosis because it is essential for the deposition of calcium in the bones. But not only does it have the ability to store calcium where it is needed, it can also break down this mineral from places where it is unwanted. This includes, for example, the collagen fibers in the skin – when calcium is deposited into them, it impairs their elasticity, which translates into increased wrinkle formation and loosening of facial features. Vitamin K2 can not only slow down these processes, but also to some extent eliminate the damage that has already occurred.

Perhaps even more important is its ability to break down calcium from blood vessel walls. Here, calcium deposits are the cause of atherosclerosis, impairing the elasticity of the vessel walls and reducing their flow, thereby increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke and impairing blood supply to all organs and tissues.

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is one of the most potent activators of sirtuin 1. This enzyme influences the activity of a number of genes and is involved in cellular regulatory processes. It influences the ability of cells to respond to environmental stressors and thus contributes to longevity. There is also research confirming the ability of resveratrol to regulate the visible signs of ageing – in particular, the loss of wrinkles with long-term use.

Omega-3

These unsaturated fatty acids greatly influence the process of gene methylation. This helps to regulate ageing-related processes. They are able to influence cognitive decline with age in a very significant way and also have a positive effect on the quality of the skin and hair.

EGCG

Epigallocatechin gallate from green tea is another nutrient that can slow aging. It significantly regulates gene methylation and other epigenetic reactions, thus slowing the overall rate of aging. In addition, it affects cells in the skin called keratinocytes, thus helping to slow down the formation of wrinkles.