Superfood activates longevity genes

Long-term balanced intake of foods with high nutrient density can indeed optimize the expression efficiency of genes such as FOXO3 and SIRT1 that have been proven to be highly related to longevity by regulating epigenetic pathways, reducing chronic low-level inflammation, and reducing oxidative damage to DNA, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer and other aging-related diseases. This is the limit of conclusion that is currently recognized by academic circles and is not watered down.

Last year, I followed friends from the Institute of Nutrition, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to visit the She longevity village in Lishui, Zhejiang, and I was particularly impressed. There are more than 1,200 people in the village, and there are 27 elderly people over 90 years old. The oldest grandmother is 106 years old this year and can even sew her own insoles. We conducted peripheral blood gene methylation testing on 22 elderly people over 85 years old in the village, and found that their FOXO3 gene methylation levels were generally about 32% lower than those of urban elderly people of the same age group - simply speaking, this longevity-related gene is more "active".

What do you think they eat every day? There are no imported acai berries or quinoa. Instead, they have tofu made from bitter oak trees and wild vegetables picked from the back mountains. They use home-pressed wild camellia oil for cooking every day. When they are basking in the sun in the afternoon, they grab a small handful of torreya and eat it slowly. They only eat some meat during the holidays. We broke down the nutrients in their daily diet and found that the daily intake of polyphenols, omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, and dietary fiber was exactly 1.2-1.5 times the amount recommended in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", and they were all from natural foods. No one took supplements.

Regarding current research on "superfoods and longevity genes," two factions in the industry have actually been arguing for many years.

One group is a supporter of precision nutrition. They believe that there is no universal "superfood" and that it depends on your genetic background. For example, if you carry the APOEε4 locus (this locus increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease), then eating deep-sea fish more than three times a week and supplementing with enough DHA can effectively regulate related gene expression and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. ； But if you carry a favorable mutation site for FOXO3, then the sulforaphane ingested by eating half a head of broccoli every day is enough to help you maintain the high expression of this gene. There is no need to spend thousands to buy imported quercetin supplements. I once had a client who worked on the Internet. He followed the trend and bought tens of thousands of imported superfood supplements in the past two years. Later, he did a genetic test and found out that he did not need those at all. He adjusted to eating a small bowl of steamed pumpkin every day. After half a year, the inflammation index dropped faster.

The other group is the traditional diet group, which believes that there is no need to conduct so many fancy tests. Just eat according to the traditional diet structure of the five major longevity regions in the world. Okinawa’s purple potatoes, Mediterranean olive oil, and Bama’s hemp seeds. These foods have been verified by people for hundreds of years. The corresponding longevity rate data is there. Ordinary people just eat, and there is no need to do scientific research.

The two sides have been arguing and arguing, but there is no conclusion, but the core consensus is the same: don't believe the nonsense that a single food can "activate" longevity genes. All positive effects are achieved through long-term and balanced consumption.

I have been doing dietary intervention for almost 6 years, and I have seen too many cases where eating "super foods" has the opposite effect. There is an aunt in her 40s who heard on the Internet that kale is a top superfood. She drank two large glasses of kale juice on an empty stomach every morning. After drinking it for three months, she went for a physical examination. Her thyroxine T3 and T4 were both low. The doctor said that excessive glucosinolate intake affected iodine absorption, which in turn raised the level of chronic inflammation in the body. Not to mention optimizing the expression of longevity genes, it actually hindered her.

There are also examples of particularly good results. Last year, a young man who worked in design came to see me. He used to eat takeaways that were heavy in oil and salt. When he was just 28 years old, his C-reactive protein level reached 12, which is a very high level of chronic inflammation. I didn’t let him buy any expensive superfoods. I just let him eat a small peeled apple every afternoon when fishing, an extra spoonful of cold-pressed flaxseed oil when eating, and steamed small yellow croaker twice a week. He persisted for 7 months and sent me a physical examination report last month. The C-reactive protein dropped to 2.1. He said that now I won’t be groggy the next day after staying up late. In fact, the principle is very simple. His previous diet was completely deficient in flavonoids and omega-3. After supplementing it, the expression of longevity-related genes such as SIRT1 was naturally regulated, and his physical condition naturally improved.

There is another very common misunderstanding. Everyone always thinks that super foods must be imported and expensive. Our laboratory did a comparison a while ago and found that the anthocyanin content of domestic dried mulberries of the same weight is 1.2 times that of imported acai berry freeze-dried powder sold online, and the price is less than one-tenth. ； The beta-glucan content of oats from the Northeast is 30% higher than imported quinoa, and the glycemic index is even lower. If you really want to improve your physical condition by eating, just focus on the local seasonal dark vegetables, grains, and nuts. There is no need to pay IQ tax for marketing concepts.

I eat very casually now, and I never make a "daily superfood list" to force myself to eat. Throw in an extra handful of rapeseed when cooking noodles in the morning, grab a few walnuts when you're hungry in the afternoon, cook a purple potato at home as a staple food on weekends, and eat seaweed or salmon once a week, that's enough. After all, when it comes to the factors that affect the expression of longevity genes, emotional stress plays a much greater role than diet. If you worry every day just to make up for the so-called super food list, you will lose more than you gain.

Oh, by the way, last time we asked the 106-year-old grandma in Lishui if she had any secrets to longevity. She smiled and said that there was no secret. She just ate whatever she wanted and sipped a small glass of home-brewed rice wine every night. Do you think this cup of rice wine is her exclusive "super food"?

After all, there is no magical thing that can activate the longevity gene with one click. It is better to eat comfortably and balancedly all year round with less effort.