{"id":1055369,"date":"2026-06-28T11:37:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T11:37:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1055369\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T11:37:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T11:37:44","slug":"neuroscientist-reveals-how-your-diet-is-making-you-age-faster-and-what-to-eat-to-reverse-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1055369\/","title":{"rendered":"Neuroscientist reveals how your diet is making you age faster \u2013\u00a0and what to eat to reverse it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are we ageing<\/a> faster than previous generations? While average UK lifespans remain high, healthy life expectancy<\/a> \u2013 years lived in good health<\/a> \u2013 is decreasing. This suggests that, contrary to the popular expression, age<\/a> is more than just a number. <\/p>\n

According to neuroscientist Dr David Cox, who is the author of The Age Code<\/a>, it could be our diets<\/a> that are driving us towards ill health<\/a> and earlier graves; more ultra-processed foods<\/a> (UPFs), a surplus of calories and fewer of the nutrients we need to be at our best. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn the last 10 years, we\u2019ve seen worrying trends,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s the rise in ageing<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n

But if diet<\/a> has the power to accelerate ageing, it also has the power to pump the brakes, Dr Cox argues. Having travelled the world to research his book, he shares the best diet<\/a> advice he encountered for living a longer, healthier life. <\/p>\n

How to delay \u2018inflammaging\u2019<\/p>\n

You have an inarguable biological age<\/a> \u2013 the number of days, months and years since you were born. You will also be subject to \u201cprogrammed ageing\u201d during your lifetime: guaranteed age-related events that happen at certain periods of your life, such as puberty and the menopause. <\/p>\n

But these are not the only markers of age worth paying attention to, Dr Cox says, introducing the concept of degenerative ageing. <\/p>\n

\u201c[Degenerative] ageing is the balance between damage and repair \u2013 the amount of damage we\u2019re incurring to our body and our body\u2019s ability to repair it,\u201d he explains. <\/p>\n

\u201cA bad diet can accelerate the damage you\u2019re doing to your body and exacerbate the underlying processes that happen as a result of ageing.\u201d <\/p>\n

Poor diet can contribute to oxidative stress and increased buildup of senescent cells, more widely known as \u201czombie cells\u201d \u2013 one of the hallmarks and primary drivers of ageing, Dr Cox says. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese are cells that have lost their function and instead linger in a state where they spew out inflammation. They can even cause other cells around them to turn into zombie cells.<\/p>\n

\"CrunchCrunch time: modern diets are deficient in several key vitamins and minerals (Prostock-studio)<\/p>\n

\u201cZombie cells contribute to this background of simmering inflammation, wearing away at the body\u2019s tissues. When your body reaches a tipping point where it is creating new zombie cells faster than it can remove them \u2013 called inflammaging \u2013 your risk of dying from a number of diseases skyrockets.\u201d<\/p>\n

But conversely, a nutritious diet rich in vitamins and minerals can give your body the resources it needs to repair itself, delaying inflammaging. This, alongside favourable genetics, is how some people are able to live to 100 and above, Dr Cox says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see this particularly in people over the age of 50 who really double down on eating a good diet,\u201d he adds. \u201cThey have a far better chance of reaching 70 without any diseases compared to someone whose diet is getting worse over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/strong>Expert reveals how to avoid dehydration in a heatwave \u2013 and the surprising advice around food and alcohol<\/a><\/p>\n

Easy ways to improve your diet <\/p>\n

The advice is fairly simple: eat your greens, aim for five-plus portions of fruit and vegetables per day, prioritise whole foods, fill your plate with fibre and include protein with meals. And these familiar but fundamental food guidelines will take you very far on your journey to a better diet. The NHS Eatwell Guide<\/a> is a good starting point when constructing a healthy plate, Dr Cox says. <\/p>\n

But if you want to improve your health even further, there are more things you can do, from targeting certain \u201csuper nutrients\u201d to tweaking the timing of your meals. <\/p>\n

Read more: <\/strong>I spoke to one of the world\u2019s leading kettlebell experts \u2013 this is how to transform your body with just one weight<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AA nutritious diet has the power to stop and even reverse many of the effects of ageing (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

Eat oily fish <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re eating oily fish like salmon three times per week, you\u2019re going to be getting a pretty high dose of omega-3,\u201d Dr Cox says. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen in clinical trials<\/a> that this much omega-3 is sufficient to slow ageing on a DNA level.\u201d <\/p>\n

Omega-3 has historically been linked to better brain and heart health, and it offers impressive benefits in both areas. Research from 2022<\/a> found that \u201cconsumption of omega-3 improved learning, memory ability, cognitive well-being and blood flow in the brain\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we now know that omega-3s are also very good at helping our immune cells resolve inflammation,\u201d Dr Cox adds. \u201cAnd, as we age, they play a really big role in supporting muscle health.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the key reasons why the modern food environment is driving accelerated ageing is that a lot of us, through UPF, are consuming too much energy. We\u2019re bombarding our bodies with more calories than it needs. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis leads to our body composition changing. We might not realise it, but between the ages of 20 and 40, a lot of people will lose muscle and replace it with this internal fat called visceral fat, which is really inflammatory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visceral fat is not the fat you see and feel just under the skin. It sits around vital organs, deep within your abdominal cavity, and larger amounts have been associated with an increased risk of several chronic health conditions, such as heart disease. <\/p>\n

\u201cOmega-3 plays a massive role in regulating inflammation, allowing your body to maintain more muscle and stop it being replaced with fat over time,\u201d Dr Cox says. \u201cIt is also very good at enhancing muscle protein synthesis, which is the body\u2019s ability to turn dietary protein into new muscle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/strong>Do these three things each week to be fitter than most Brits<\/a><\/p>\n

\"OilyOily fish can play a massive role in regulating inflammation (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Breakfast like a king<\/p>\n

Most people eat their biggest meal of the day at dinner time. This makes a lot of sense. You have more time to cook, you want something tasty after a stressful day, and it\u2019s an opportunity to sit down with friends and family. But this approach might not be a great fit for our bodies.<\/p>\n

\u201cHumans evolved to work with the sun,\u201d Dr Cox says. This means many processes, such as digestion, are at their best earlier in the day. <\/p>\n

For this reason, at least a few days per week, he suggests making breakfast or lunch your largest meal, followed by a smaller dinner. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a fascinating study<\/a> in France looking into tips [around meal timing] for preventing heart disease,\u201d he says. \u201cThey found the two most important things were not skipping breakfast and eating an earlier dinner. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you eat a small breakfast, a small lunch and a colossal dinner, as most of us do, your insulin response to help your body process blood sugar won\u2019t be working as effectively in the evening. You\u2019re going to be more likely to gain weight and visceral fat over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/strong>There\u2019s a new golden rule for strength training \u2013 expert coaches reveal everything you need to know<\/a><\/p>\n

\"RiseRise and shine: swapping your largest meal of the day from dinner to breakfast and lunch can have some unexpected health perks (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Eat more minerals<\/p>\n

Vitamins are important. Minerals are too. But most of our diets<\/a> are missing out in both areas. <\/p>\n

Supplements are one way to address this. But Dr Cox promotes a food-first approach, stating: \u201cI don’t think under-50s really need to be taking supplements \u2013 they can get everything they need from eating real food.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are certain vitamins and minerals that are particularly valuable and should be emphasised in your diet. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe know the likes of magnesium and zinc are really good at combatting insulin resistance, which is the main reason people get type-2 diabetes, and something that often takes hold in our bodies in midlife,\u201d Dr Cox says. <\/p>\n

Insulin is an essential hormone produced by the pancreas. It reduces the amount of glucose (or sugar) in the blood by stashing it inside cells, which can then use it as fuel.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we age, our cells become less efficient at responding to insulin, so the pancreas has to work much harder to produce more of it,\u201d says Dr Cox. \u201cEventually, you reach a state where the body doesn\u2019t respond to insulin at all, leading to uncontrolled blood sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is how insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes. However, zinc and magnesium make the body\u2019s cells more efficient at responding to insulin, preventing the pancreas from becoming overworked and nipping this problem in the bud.<\/p>\n

Good sources of zinc include meat, shellfish, dairy products and wholegrains, while magnesium can be found in spinach, nuts, wholemeal products and, again, wholegrains. <\/p>\n

Read more: <\/strong>I did goblet squats every day for a month \u2013 the results surprised me<\/a><\/p>\n

\"SpinachSpinach and other leafy greens are a \u2018potent source of essential minerals\u2019 (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Go green<\/p>\n

Leafy greens are not the most popular of foods, Dr Cox admits. But they are chock-full of health-boosting minerals that can be vital in supporting kidney health. <\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the age of roughly 25 onwards, our kidneys start to age much quicker than you would expect,\u201d he says. \u201cBy the time you hit 70, many people effectively only have one working kidney.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kidneys do all kinds of things; they flush out toxins from your blood and play a big role in regulating acids. But they need enough of the right minerals to help them do these jobs, and many people aren\u2019t getting enough of these minerals in their diets, placing more stress on the kidneys and driving inflammation and ageing. That\u2019s ultimately why we people end up getting chronic kidney disease over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leafy greens are a potent source of such minerals. Perhaps surprisingly, dried herbs are another great place to find them, with the drying process \u201cconcentrating the mineral content\u201d. Weave both into your weekly food plans to improve your kidney health. <\/p>\n

Read more: <\/strong>Scientists followed women through midlife for 15 years \u2013 this activity was linked to longer, better lives<\/a><\/p>\n

\"BlueberriesBlueberries are an excellent source of flavonoids, which can help improve cardiovascular health (PA)<\/p>\n

Find the flavonoids <\/p>\n

You might be familiar with polyphenols<\/a> \u2013 naturally occurring dietary compounds found in everything from berries to green tea to dark chocolate, which offer a whole host of health benefits. <\/p>\n

Flavonoids are a subclass of polyphenols, and a personal favourite recommendation for Dr Cox.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlavonoids are found in many brightly-coloured fruits and vegetables like berries, as well as green tea,\u201d he says. \u201cThey are very good at preventing the development of hypertension [high blood pressure] over time. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason for this is they give our blood vessels a bit of a nudge and can cause them to dilate and contract in a gentle way, promoting blood flow.\u201d<\/p>\n

A 2025 study<\/a> discovered a \u201csignificant inverse relationship between dietary flavonoid intake and hypertension risk\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese associations follow nonlinear patterns, suggesting moderate consumption may be more beneficial than high doses,\u201d it later adds, meaning eating a few extra berries could go a long way to securing better long-term health. <\/p>\n

A subclass of flavonoids called anthocyanidins “demonstrated the strongest protective associations\u201d. These can be found in many fruits and vegetables with a red, purple or blue colouring, such as red cabbage, aubergine, blueberries, blackberries, cherries and grapes.<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/strong>Scientists share six easy ways to increase the health benefits of your daily walk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Are we ageing faster than previous generations? While average UK lifespans remain high, healthy life expectancy \u2013 years…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1055370,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[11],"tags":[1203,105,49082,16,15],"class_list":["post-1055369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-food","tag-health","tag-older","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116827538984506183","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1055369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1055369"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1055369\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1055370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1055369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1055369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1055369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}