The top 5 nutrition hacks for a long life

Particularly in the health sector, you read time and again about nutrition hacks for losing weight or improving performance in sports. But what actually helps to live healthier and potentially longer? In the following article, we present the top 5 nutrition hacks for a long and healthy life. Scientifically proven.

Plant based diet

When you start thinking about longevity and nutrition, the question quickly arises: What is the best diet to live as long as possible? Does it even exist? Studies show that there is: Yes, there is! Although there are many contradictory opinions in the field of nutritional science, it is now very well documented that a plant-based diet with lots of fruit and vegetables can protect against the development of certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, among other things.

Responsible for this positive effect are to a large extent so-called secondary plant compounds. These are produced by the plant to ward off predators or to attract insects. When combating pests such as bacteria or fungi, they have antibacterial and antifungal effects. So far, tens of thousands of such molecules have been identified that exert a variety of bioactive effects in the human body.

Research shows that the consumption of phytochemicals has anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antioxidant and anticarcinogenic effects. In addition, studies have shown that some phytochemicals have beneficial effects on the process of autophagy. In simple terms, autophagy is the recycling process in our cells that ensures that unusable and diseased cells are destroyed.

Secondary plant substances as a secret ingredient

Thanks to the large number of bioactive secondary plant substances, a plant-based diet can protect against the development of age- and diet-related diseases. In addition, some phytochemicals such as fisetin promote senolysis. This means that they intervene in the cell division process and can eliminate body cells that are no longer able to divide. For this reason, medicine has a great interest in further researching these substances and identifying new molecules with senolytic effects.

However, you can also achieve positive results through your normal diet. If you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, you also consume a high proportion of phytochemicals. The following table summarizes the positive effects of these phytochemicals, their effects and occurrence.

Nutrition hacks for a healthy microbiome

Eating a plant-based diet is also recommended due to the increased fiber content. Studies show that the gut microbiome is directly linked to the ageing process and longevity. A plant-based diet influences the intestinal microbiome through a diverse mixture of fibres that are metabolized by the intestinal bacteria as so-called prebiotics. Among other things, this produces short-chain fatty acids, which have a positive effect on the intestinal barrier

The consumption of fermented foods can also have positive effects. The close connection between the intestinal microbiome, the immune system and the development of various diseases also suggests an indirect influence on the ageing process.

Fermented foods with a probiotic effect include kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha. If such foods are part of your diet, this has a beneficial effect on the diversity of the intestinal flora. However, it is not only the consumption of a plant-based diet including phytochemicals, fiber and fermented foods that can help you stay healthy for a long time. Consciously avoiding food for a certain period of time can also be beneficial to our health.

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting has become very popular in recent years as part of weight loss programs. Beyond its use for weight loss, interval fasting also offers many benefits in terms of the aging process. But before that, it would be necessary to briefly explain what interval fasting is exactly.

The bottom line is that everyone does Intermittent Fasting every day for a certain period of time, namely when we sleep. During this time window, we usually do not eat any food and are therefore in a fasting period. However, since most people take food early in the morning with a breakfast, the daily fasting period lasts no longer than 8 - 9 hours.

Intermittent fasting extends the usual period of not eating and shortens the period of food intake. In practice, people usually fast for 16 - 18 hours and eat in a period of 6 - 8 hours. As a result, the body is in a "state of hunger" for a longer period of the day. This has a positive effect on various blood parameters and also on autophagy.

Studies show that DNA repair and insulin sensitivity increase during interval fasting. In addition, scientists have found increased levels of proteins associated with longevity.

Other positive effects of fasting that play a role in a healthy and long life are increased cognitive performance and a favorable composition of serum proteins in relation to:

• the glucose and fat metabolism
• the circadian rhythm
• the immune system
• Cancer
• Obesity and the metabolic syndrome
• Diabetes
• Inflammations and
• neuropsychiatric diseases

Calorie restriction

Calorie restriction is also closely linked to intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting has a positive effect on the human body, even without calorie restriction, due to the temporal abstinence. However, studies also show that it is not only the temporal context of food intake, but also the amount of calories consumed per day or on average that plays a significant role. One of the leading researchers in this field is the American Valter Longo. With his mock fasting diet, he has developed his own concept for prolonging life. The Sirtfood diet takes a similar, albeit less scientific, approach.

For example, the peptide hormone adiponectin, which is responsible for insulin sensitivity in the fat cells, increases on a calorie-restricted diet. At the same time, the concentration of leptin, insulin and blood glucose in the serum falls. In addition, a conscious calorie restriction implemented in everyday life lowers the HbA1c value, an indicator of the blood glucose concentration over the last 8 to 12 weeks. You can find out which other values are crucial for your blood sugar metabolism in our blood sugar article.

But that's not all: the moderate consumption of calories also leads to a reduction in blood lipid levels and total and LDL cholesterol. This can have a protective effect, particularly with regard to cardiovascular diseases, which statistically increase with age (6). According to the latest research, apolipoprotein B (ApoB ) appears to be a better risk marker than cholesterol.

When combined with a plant-based diet, little to no processed meat and added sugars, and moderate salt and alcohol intake, calorie restriction is associated with increased quality of life and reduced risk of diet- and age-related diseases. A calorie-restricted diet also has an anti-inflammatory effect and lowers proinflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein.

Spermidine

In recent years, the molecule spermidine has been the focus of increasing scientific attention. Study results show that a diet rich in spermidine has cardio- and neuroprotective properties. In addition, animal studies have shown that spermidine mediated the degeneration of cells. Furthermore, maintenance of normal mitochondrial function, anti-inflammation and senolysis are discussed. Molecularly, spermidine induces these effects by the same mechanisms as caloric restriction (7).

Spermidine can also be absorbed in large quantities through food, and it is particularly abundant in selected foods. The front-runner here is wheat germ with approx. 24 mg spermidine per 100 g.

Conclusion - Nutrition hacks for more longevity

Overall, a plant-based diet rich in phytochemicals is recommended in combination with Intermittent Fasting. This diet is diametrically opposed to the common Western diet. The consumption of fiber-rich and probiotic foods as part of a plant-based diet can have a positive effect on our intestinal microbiome and thereby have a beneficial effect on certain disease mechanisms. In addition, consciously restricting calories and maintaining a normal body weight also has a positive effect on our health.

To support the diet and the own body in a targeted manner, dietary supplements offer a variety of possibilities. Smart supplements compensate for deficiencies in micronutrients that cannot be compensated for by conventional foods, or only with difficulty. In addition, they target molecular pathways in the organism that are neglected due to aging.