A Youth Thief Hiding in Your Pantry?
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted October 5, 2020
How does aging faster sound?
Ha! Any smart person would say “No Thanks!” to more wrinkles, slowing down, harder hearing, forgetting things…
You probably already try and do all you can to slow the process down. Hydrate, exercise, use sunscreen, etc.
But here’s the thing…
There’s one HUGE hidden culprit that will put you on the fast train to aging.
I’m talking about highly processed foods.
These foods speed up your biological clock faster than you can say, “I’ll take the extra fries.”
Ultra-processed foods are foods that have almost no ACTUAL food in them (like chips, soft drinks, breakfast cereal, chicken nuggets…).
Ultra-processed food are snacks, drinks, ready meals full of sugar and artificial colors, preservatives.
We eat them because they are easy to grab and mighty tasty.
But that convenience comes with a high price.
A study, recently published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that ultra-processed food shortened telomeres.
Telomeres are sort of like those little plastic things on the end of shoelaces (called an aiglet). If you want to keep your shoelaces from unraveling, you need aiglets. Once the aiglet is gone, your shoelaces will fall apart.
The same is true with your DNA: lose your telomeres and your DNA unravels and becomes unstable.
Long telomeres are better than short ones and as we get older telomeres most people get shorter telomeres. Shorter telomeres have also been linked to high blood pressure, obesity, depression, type 2 diabetes, many types of cancers.
The research team in the study looked at almost 900 people (average age of 68) and broke them into four groups depending on how many servings of ultra-processed foods they consumed.
The risk of shorter telomeres increased by 29 percent in people eating 2.5 servings or less of day of highly processed foods!
That number jumped to 40 percent in the group eating 2.5 to 3 servings a day.
If you were in the ultra-high group (eating more than 3 servings a day), you had a staggering 82 percent chance of having short telomeres.
The shortened telomeres are the result of these non-foods raising inflammation and oxidative stress throughout the body.
If you want to keep your telomeres (and you) healthy – stay away from processed foods and much as possible and buy yourself some insurance by following my anti-aging program.
Dr. Scott’s Aging Delay Program:
- Get 1,000-3,000 IU of Vitamin D every day. If it is winter, or you spend a lot of time inside, then you need to supplement every day.
- Exercise. Getting enough exercise is vital to your anti-aging program – and if you exercise outside, you’ll get more sunlight to help your body produce its own vitamin D.
- Eat a diet that is full of color and as many veggies as you can.
- Take anti-aging nutrients. Alpha-lipoic acid, CoQ10, and astaxanthin are powerful antioxidants and anti-aging supplements.
- Keep your blood sugar under control. One of the other reasons why we age so fast is because of out-of-control blood sugar. Use the mineral chromium and the herbal extract berberine to help keep your blood sugar under control.
- Make sure you have enough nutrients to support your whole body. This usually means taking a multivitamin to make up for nutrient shortfalls.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
View More Free Articles
Shakespeare’s “Remembrance” Herb Protects Memory
You probably have a jar of rosemary sitting in your spice rack. Perhaps you sprinkle it on potatoes or add it to roast chicken. But what if this humble herb could hold the key to fighting one of the most devastating diseases we can face as we age? It turns out a hidden compound inside...
Is Your Gut “Good”? How to Check
I always get asked, “How do I know if my digestion is working right?” Well, the answer is pretty simple, but it’s also a little gross. A simple test you can do at home reveals whether your digestion is normal or not. Your digestive system processes everything you eat—extracting nutrients, and eliminating waste. The time...
Hidden Sugar Trap Fuels Lung Cancer
We’ve long known that smoking is the main villain behind lung cancer. But what if your dinner plate has quietly joined forces with the enemy? A new study from the University of Florida reveals that the typical Western diet could be laying the groundwork for aggressive lung cancer growth by feeding tumors with stored sugar....
Mailbag: Can A Diabetic Enjoy Desserts? The Surprising Answer
“If you have diabetes, may you eat a very few sweets in a week?” —Sweet Tooth Hi Sweet Tooth, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where your body either resists the effects of insulin (a hormone that regulates sugar in your blood) or doesn’t produce enough of it to maintain normal blood sugar levels....
Sleepless Nights? Beware of this Deadly Danger
We all have that friend who brags about their four-hour-a-night sleep schedule like it’s some kind of superpower. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” they proclaim while chugging their third energy drink of the morning. Well, science has bad news for these sleep-skimping show-offs. You might be accelerating your appointment with the Grim Reaper far more...
Drive-Thru Disaster Hits Fast Forward on Aging
Ever wonder why some of your high school classmates look like they’re aging much faster while others seem frozen in time? It’s not always just good genes or expensive creams—it could be what they’re ordering at the drive-thru. A troubling new study revealed that a fast-food habit doesn’t just expand your waistline—it fast-forwards your biological...
The “Salty” Truth About Your Mood
You know salt gets a bad rap for raising blood pressure. But what if I told you it might be messing with your mood, too? According to a new study out of China, eating too much salt could trigger depression—not just through vague “bad diet” effects, but by activating specific immune cells in the brain....
Ancient Herb Has a Modern Secret for Youthful Skin
You can spend hundreds—maybe even thousands—on anti-aging creams, lotions, and potions that promise to turn back the clock. But let’s be honest… most of them do little more than moisturize and smell nice. Now, a new study is turning that entire anti-aging skincare industry on its head—and the secret comes from an herb that’s been...
Let It Go—The Unexpected Freedom of “Fart Walks”
Ever notice your walk sometimes comes with some, well… unexpected sound effects? One step, two step, POOT! There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this natural phenomenon. Passing gas on your daily stroll is totally normal—and it means your digestive system is working well. Here’s what’s happening… Walking and other physical activities stimulate your digestive tract,...
Common Antidepressants Linked to Silent Brain Damage
If you’re among the millions taking prescription antidepressants, I have some concerning news. A major study has uncovered a disturbing link between common antidepressants and a growing brain problem. And if you’re taking an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), you may find yourself in the crosshairs. Swedish researchers recently uncovered this troubling connection. They found...