Eat These Treats, Live Longer

Getting older is inevitable. But how fast you get there is almost completely in your hands. So start putting on the brakes by eating more of these: nuts and berries.

Research shows that foods high in vitamin E (like almonds) and vitamin C (like strawberries) may help slow aging on a cellular level.

How Long Are Your Telomeres?
In a study, a vitamin C- and E-rich diet was associated with having longer telomeres. Telowhats? Telomeres. Those are the vital protective coverings on the ends of the DNA strands in all of your cells. They naturally shorten with age until, eventually, cells stop reproducing and die. Enter aging and disease. But the good news is that you can slow down how fast your telomeres shrink. In addition to eating nuts and berries, here are some other things you can do to keep your telomeres long for longer.

Slow It Down
Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress can hasten telomere shrinkage. Which may be why vitamins C and E are so handy for longevity: They help diminish both conditions. Try these other steps for adding extra mileage to your cells:

• Load up on vitamin D. Find out the role D plays in fending off key diseases.
• Keep it clean. Protect your cells from toxins with this home detox guide.
• Make your body last longer. Here's an easy-to-follow plan that helps you do it.

Multivitamin use and telomere length in women. Xu, Q. et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009 Jun;89(6):1857-1863.