13 facts about aging

In the XTR supplement of the NRC of 7 December (sponsored by ONVZ), an interesting article about the impact of aging on your skin. At the bottom of this blog is a link to the article. Including 13 facts about ageing. In short, a number of interesting facts and tips from the article. Supplemented with own knowledge - knowledge from other sources.

How do I stay young as long as possible?

Did you know that the aging process of your skin starts after your 20th year of life?

Tips to stay young as long as possible according to the article (part is probably an open door)

• Avoid the sun - but we need the sun too!
• Do not smoke
• Eat healthy - just what is healthy? So many opinions ;-)
• Avoid stress - or at least manage it well
  
  

Avoid the sun?

• The sun also has benefits for our health & healthy aging! Besides indeed disadvantages of wrinkle formation and pigment spots. You should only try to prevent combustion at all times. That only has negative effects on our skin and health. Read the blog: 'Sun - should we protect ourselves or not?' which discusses the advantages and disadvantages of sunlight in more detail. And decide for yourself what is important to you.
• Benefits of the sun are, for example, the production of vitamin D3. This can only be created with the help of sunlight. (and taken as a supplement). This vitamin is related to the proper functioning of more than 2000 body processes! Up to and including the southern tip of Spain, people are vitamin D3 deficient in winter! In winter, additional supplementation is recommended!
• Recent studies also indicate that sun reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's. Your immune system strengthens. And promotes blood circulation in the skin. Which promotes (healthy) aging & being fit.
  
  

Do not smoke

• Smoking gives a duller, greyish skin and more and deeper wrinkles (we immediately see whether someone smokes or has smoked heavily when someone comes into the salon, often we don't even have to ask). This is due to the toxins in a cigarette. The toxins make your skin cells produce less collagen, which causes deeper wrinkles and makes your skin less firm.
  
  

Eat healthy

• According to the NRC article, an unhealthy diet seems to accelerate visible aging, especially in women. The reason for this is not yet known.
• The fact is that a man produces more collagen than women due to a higher testosterone content. Making the skin oilier, thicker and stiffer. This keeps it elastic and supple for longer. And less likely to form deep wrinkles. But when aging sets in, this suddenly happens quickly, much faster than with a woman. Where skin aging goes steadily! In women, the skin becomes considerably thinner after menopause. It is possible that the effect of an unhealthier diet is therefore more visible in women than in men, because aging of the skin only takes place at a later stage. And the skin has more 'buffers' to absorb the negative consequences of a bad diet.
• What exactly constitutes a healthy or unhealthy diet is often a matter of debate. Inform yourself well. Or let us find out which nutrients do and do not suit you. This turns out to be very personal. An avocado can be good for me, but not for you. Do you eat a lot of fresh vegetables and enough fruit, enough right fats. if you drink enough water or herbal tea, avoid refined sugars as much as possible, drink little or no alcohol and eat red meat only in moderation (or not at all), then you are well on your way.
• People with a higher BMI are less likely to have visible wrinkles, because the facial fat gives plumpness to the skin. But a higher BMI has other health disadvantages that can get in the way of healthy aging.
• Fruit & vegetables have a positive effect on skin aging. The more color variation on your plate the better. Not a lot of meat and alcohol. Not strange. Alcohol dries out your skin and puts a strain on your liver, which breaks down toxins. If the liver functions less well, more toxins end up in your blood, which promotes skin aging. A lot of meat requires a lot of energy to digest and has an acidifying effect. Acidification promotes accelerated aging of the skin. Fruit and vegetables contain a lot of antioxidants, which are necessary for good skin function. And lots of fiber for good intestinal function. Pure oily fish/fish oil does have a positive effect on the skin. Because of the omega 3 content, which fights inflammation in your body. Choose fish species that have a relatively short life or live in clean water, so that they have not yet ingested too many toxins from the oceans.

Avoid stress - or manage it better

Stress causes wrinkles. During stress, the hormone cortisol is produced, which causes more sugar in your blood. This was useful in prehistoric times, when danger created stress, which gave you more energy to flee. Nowadays, many people suffer from chronic stress, which means that the cortisol level in your blood is constantly high. As a result, your blood sugar level rises continuously, causing collagen and elastin to be broken down faster. Which results in faster skin aging.

Avoiding stress is almost impossible for many people. Coping better with stress is one of your options. For example through walking in nature, yoga, breathing exercises, mindfulness. Find an outlet that suits you!

Personally, I believe that stress or rather dealing with stress in the right way is one of the most underestimated factors when it comes to health and skin aging. Considering that people with the most diverse diets and exercise styles may or may not get old or sick. More research seems necessary.

What happens to your face as you get older?

Shrinking bones and less fat volume
For all of us, your bones shrink and your fat volume decreases as you age. As a result, your face 'sags' a bit and your eyes are often deeper in your sockets. This makes bags appear larger. And your cheeks will 'droop'. Due to the reduced amount of estrogen after menopause, women suffer more from osteoporosis/decrease in bone volume than men.

Remedies for bone loss
Good news. You can do something to slow down bone decalcification somewhat: make sure you get enough vitamin D (that sun again ;-)) Vitamin D together with calcium ensures stronger bones. Whether calcium should come from dairy products remains to be seen. There are studies that indicate that this calcium actually causes decalcification. Calcium from green leafy vegetables, for example, would be better. Osteoperosis is much less common in Asia, where fewer cow's milk products are consumed and a lot of green leafy vegetables are eaten. The Netherlands - Melkland - is one of the countries with the highest percentage of people suffering from osteoperosis.

Movement also helps, and strength training, because when you load your bones, this stimulates the production of new bone tissue.

Weaker connective tissue - slacker skin
Our connective tissue also becomes weaker as we age, resulting in sagging skin. Your connective tissue is everywhere in your body. Deep grooves between the nose and lip corners often indicate weaker connective tissue. Stress is an important factor that promotes the deterioration of connective tissue. Not only mental stress, but also stress for the body due to wrong nutrition.

Influence of genes
The XTR article in NRC indicates that approximately 60 percent of aging symptoms such as graying, wrinkles and droopy eyelids are genetically determined. Still 40 percent that you can positively influence!

Read the entire article in the NRC XTR including the 13 facts about aging here

Sources: NRC XTR December 7, welnessacademie.com, laviesage