Want to age slower? You can start by cutting all that sugar out of your diet!

In the quest for eternal youth, many of us focus on skincare regimens, exercise, and even the latest anti-ageing supplements. But what if the secret to slowing down the ageing process lies in something as simple as our diet? Recent research has revealed that added sugars in our diet could be accelerating our biological ageing, making us look and feel older than we are.

The research, conducted on middle-aged women with an average age of 39, revealed that those who consumed diets rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants had "younger-looking" cells. But the real shocker was the impact of added sugars on cellular youthfulness. These sugars, commonly found in sugar-sweetened beverages and baked goods, appeared to hasten cellular ageing, even when they ate healthier.
The women in the study consumed between 2.7 to 316 grams of added sugar daily. Even among those with otherwise healthy diets, higher sugar intake was associated with signs of accelerated cellular ageing.

"We knew that high levels of added sugars are linked to worsened metabolic health and early disease, possibly more than any other dietary factor," noted study Elissa Epel. "Now we know that accelerated epigenetic ageing is underlying this relationship, and this is likely one of many ways that excessive sugar intake limits healthy longevity."

What is our biological age?

Biological age refers to how old your cells and tissues appear based on physiological and molecular markers. This is opposed to your chronological age, which is simply the number of years you have lived. Unlike chronological age, biological age can vary significantly among individuals.

Factors such as genetics, lifestyle, diet, and environment can influence biological age, making some people biologically younger or older than their actual age. You have probably heard of the tech mogul Bryan Johnson, who has been making news rounds for investing heavily in anti-aging research. Johnson is reportedly trying to reverse his biological age to be younger than his chronological age.
To measure the participants’ cellular youthfulness, the researchers examined chemical tags called methyl groups on DNA molecules. As we age, the patterns of these methyl groups shift, contributing to cellular ageing. By analysing the DNA methylation in saliva samples from 342 women, the researchers could estimate their biological ages.

These findings reinforce the idea that reducing added sugar intake can enhance not just our metabolic health but also our longevity. While the study provides a snapshot of the relationship between diet and cellular ageing, it underscores the potential long-term benefits of a nutrient-rich, low-sugar diet. So next time you reach for that sugary snack, it might help to remember how it could be turning your quarter-life crisis into a mid-life one.

The findings of this research have been published in JAMA Network Open and can be accessed here.