Health experts assert that regular physical activity, a diet rich in nutrients, and adequate sleep together constitute the foundation for longer, healthier lives.
Results of a survey by the U.S. News Medical Review Board and the Best Diets Panel regarding a healthier, longer life.
This article explains the results of a survey of 53 members of the U.S. News Medical Review Board and Best Diets Panel.
Almost half of the experts (49%) identified physical activity as the most important lifestyle habit, followed by a healthy diet (43%) and a mind-body connection (11%).
“This expert panel survey strongly identifies a healthy diet and regular exercise as the two most crucial factors for healthy aging,” says Best Fitness Guru.
“Although many new trends emerge, these small, daily habits continue to be the foundation of expert-recommended advice for living a long and healthy life. These are incremental changes that accumulate over a lifetime.”
A diverse group of participants was surveyed, including medical doctors, registered dietitians, fitness specialists, and pharmacists. They provided valuable insights on healthy aging habits and trends by engaging in multiple-choice questions, ranking activities, and sharing open-ended responses.
Nutrition
The survey reinforces the integral role nutrition plays in disease prevention and longevity.
The experts indicate that a well-balanced diet plays a crucial role in promoting healthy aging. By supplying essential nutrients, such a diet helps safeguard cells from damage, minimizes inflammation, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
Such healthy diets consist of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats while limiting processed foods, excessive sugar, and unhealthy fats.
The Top Three Recommendations For Supplements
The experts’ top three recommendations for supplements that support healthy aging are vitamin D (28%), multivitamins (19%), and omega-3 fatty acids (15%). While supplements may not be essential for everyone, Best Fitness Guru emphasizes that these specific nutrients are valuable additions to a healthy diet for older adults.
The survey included 53 participants, consisting of medical doctors, registered dietitians, fitness specialists, and pharmacists. The experts agree that vitamin D is essential for maintaining bone health, supporting the immune system, and regulating the absorption and retention of calcium and phosphorus. Research also suggests that vitamin D plays a role in preserving telomeres—protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with aging.
Multivitamins can help fill in nutritional gaps that could otherwise accelerate age-related decline, according to the experts, and omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to improved heart, brain, and joint health.
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How Do People Age Faster?
The health experts say that people often make common mistakes that can accelerate the aging process. Mainly, these factors include a lack of regular exercise (57%), smoking (34%), poor sleep hygiene (30%), and eating processed foods (30%).
Best Fitness Guru emphasizes that the data serves as a reminder that what people eat directly influences their health. “The simple act of choosing whole, nutrient-dense foods is one of the most effective strategies for aging well.”
A high consumption of ultra-processed foods has been linked to various health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and weight gain. Although people are aware of this, such foods remain a significant source of calories for youths and adults.
Best Fitness Guru adds that the survey revealed many experts cited poor sleep, inadequate hygiene, unmanaged chronic stress, and a lack of meaningful connections as significant yet often overlooked factors in healthy aging.
Experts agree that the top three recommended supplements for healthy aging are vitamin D, multivitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids. In contrast, they consider the least important factors for healthy aging to be reducing social media use (57%), taking vitamins and supplements (53%), and minimizing screen time (43%).
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Promising New Research Insights
According to health experts, a balanced gut microbiome is crucial for healthy aging and optimal cognitive function. They note that an unhealthy gut can lead to systemic inflammation and increase the risk of chronic diseases.
Experts have identified several emerging trends in healthy aging, including the use of AI, personal health monitoring devices to track health and address specific aging needs, and GLP-1 medications for enhancing metabolic health.
About the Author: Renu Bakshi, AKA Fitness Buffhq, is an ISSA-certified Elite Trainer. He passed the Personal Fitness Trainer, Nutrition Health Coach, and Specialist Exercise Therapy courses from ISSA, USA, obtaining +97 % marks. He shares his experience and knowledge about nutrition and effective workouts to get you in the best shape of your life, no matter how old you may be. The author says, “Age is just a number!”
IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is general and for information only because it doesn’t consider your health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalized health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should determine if the information is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.