A healthy, high-fiber diet with lots of vitamins and minerals, regular exercise and sufficient sleep are among the most important pillars of staying young. But a happy home life also has a life-prolonging effect. Married women, for example, live an average of 4.5 years longer, and for men the difference between being married and being a bachelor is as much as ten years.
Supply of antioxidants
When it comes to nutrition, an adequate supply of antioxidants plays a particularly important role. They bind oxygen radicals present in the body, i.e. reactive oxygen compounds, and thus prevent these free radicals from destroying the body’s own cells and causing diseases such as arteriosclerosis, cancer or rheumatism.
Free radicals are formed by oxidative stress, which in turn is caused by a high-fat diet, serious illnesses, injuries, professional or personal stress, lack of sleep, but also excessive sport and extensive sunbathing.
Antioxidants can be vitamins, proteins, minerals or secondary plant substances. People can obtain them from their food. According to recent findings, however, this is often not enough, so a targeted supplement can be useful.
Healthy lifestyle
In addition to regular exercise and a healthy diet, reviewing one’s outlook on life is also part of anti-aging. Positive-thinking people usually have better mental coping strategies. They expose themselves to less stress and thus preserve their defenses. Those who can laugh at themselves show sovereignty and composure – and have good prerequisites for growing old happily and healthily.
Risks and benefits
Anti-aging medicine goes beyond a healthy lifestyle. Whereas a few years ago the focus was on giving vitamins and minerals, some anti-aging doctors now advocate delaying signs of aging by specifically adding hormones. Estrogens have the effect of rejuvenating the skin of post-menopausal women and preventing the mood swings typical of the menopause.
In older men, androgen substitution appears to prevent fat buildup and muscle loss. However, the use of hormones is controversial among physicians. About six years ago, a study showed that the administration of estrogen can increase the risk of breast cancer. Meanwhile, there are voices questioning the methodology and the results of the study.
Some medical experts believe that regular drinking of alcohol and obesity have greater breast cancer risks than giving estrogen. When hormones are given to men, it is not yet clear whether this promotes the growth of tumors in the prostate and liver.
Natural hormones
Because of their good tolerability, plant hormones (phytohormones) have gained popularity in recent years. Similar to animal hormones, they control growth processes, but usually do not have the same potency as prescription hormone preparations.
