Old fashioned diet helps reduce ageing diseases
Adopting our ancestors’ diet would help reduce ageing diseases and obesity, according to international and local nutrition medicine experts at the AustralAsian Academy of Anti-Ageing Medicine (A5M) Conference held recently in Melbourne.
Australian Dr Melvyn A. Sydney-Smith, nutrition medicine doctor, said our genes hadn’t adapted to the changes in our diet over the centuries.
“A person’s diet can be a serious risk factor for ageing diseases as it impacts on a person’s DNA. Human genes have only changed by 0.5% per million years, whilst there has been a huge shift in our diet and lifestyle,” said Dr Sydney-Smith.
“For example, our ancestors consumed only 1% of grain in their daily diet, whereas today it is recommended to consume between 60% and 70%. This is why our genes are struggling to cope with new diets,” he added.
According to Dr Tania Ash, the best anti-ageing diet that can help prevent such diseases is one that includes traditional foods.
“A combined Paleolithic and Mediterranean diet is the optimal anti-ageing diet. It should include a lean diet, organic products, foods rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids (such as fish), two litres of water per day and antioxidants found in red wine, dark chocolate and berries,” said Dr Ash.
“Anti-ageing medicine looks at balancing five key elements: diet, exercise, relaxation, supplements and medication. All these can help a person live a longer, happier and healthier life. This is what anti-ageing and the A5M stand for,” said A5M president, Dr Michael Zacharia.
