Anti-Aging Myths and Facts: What Really Works to Slow Down the Aging Process? 

How do you feel about aging? Are you anxious about physical and mental decline? Do you worry about battling life-changing diseases and conditions? Does growing older fill you with dread? 

The truth is that healthy aging is almost impossible if you have negative attitudes about the future. Being stressed and anxious can lead to a host of health problems that can shorten your life expectancy. Instead of worrying, take some time to learn what healthy aging looks like and what the developing science of anti-aging can do for you. 

Anti-aging is the science of lengthening longevity while keeping you healthy and fit both inside and out. To find out more, read about these anti-aging myths and the facts. 

Myth: Weight gain is inevitable.

Fact: Weight gain is avoidable. 

Anyone involved with the science of anti-aging is concerned about the growing obesity epidemic in America. Being overweight or obese contributes to a host of conditions that can shorten your life expectancy including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Yet weight gain isn’t inevitable. Yes, the average American gains ten pounds a decade. However, just because it’s common doesn’t make it universal. 

If you’re interested in healthy aging keep in mind that weight gain can usually be avoided through simple lifestyle adjustments. Your metabolism slows down as you age. That means you must be more mindful of your eating habits. Avoid eating while watching television because it’s too easy to overeat. The goal is to take in your body’s daily needs and no more. This varies depending on your activity level. 

Reducing late night snacking and meals will provide more time for your body to digest . Consider reducing your plate size as well. Studies show people who use smaller dishes eat less. The average plate size has nearly doubled over the past 50 years. 

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You can actually reverse aging by embracing a plant-based diet. Adding salads, steamed veggies or other filling, low-calories foods to your meals will reduce hunger cravings and curb poor eating habits. Avoid eating a few hours before bedtime as well. 

Some of the best anti-aging foods are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants combat free radicals which are produced as byproducts of digestion along with drinking alcohol, sun exposure, and smoking. These molecules attach themselves to healthy cells and can lead to chronic inflammation – which can contribute to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Broccoli, avocado, potatoes, berries, and coffee are all rich in antioxidants. 

When it comes to healthy aging, a common myth is that there is a miracle food or drink that promotes anti-aging. No one thing should dominate your diet – no matter how healthy. The secret to anti-aging eating is a  balanced diet loaded with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and lean proteins. Don’t neglect your gut health. A healthy gut reduces your risk for illness. That’s because more than 70% of your immunity resides in your gut. If you’re concerned with aging drink plenty of water which not only reduces your risk for a variety of conditions but also keeps your gut healthy.. Probiotics like yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut offer healthy amounts of these digestion-aiding organisms. 

Studies show that obesity is one of the biggest obstacles to anti-aging progress. If you’re a male with a waist size over 40 inches (or a woman over 35 inches) and you’re interested in healthy aging, then losing weight is easily one of the best things you can do. 

Myth: It’s too late to reverse aging. 

Fact: You can embark on an anti-aging program today!

You are not defined by your chronological age. Instead, focus on your biological age – the age of your cells, the age you have control over. An active senior’s biological age may be a decade younger than an inactive person of the same age. 

Downloading the Kyla app will give you instant access to a host of options including Kyla’s Anti-Aging program. Focused on prevention, their Anti-Aging Treatment can increase not just your lifespan but your health span as well. These are the years you’ll enjoy that are free from disease. 

Lengthen your longevity by embarking on a  personalized program that incorporates medications, supplements, and nutrition. Along the way you’ll gain valuable insights into your health thanks to how the Kyla app incorporates AI analytics and advanced testing.

Healthy aging is about lifestyle choices – you can see how these affect your body by tracking vital health indicators like primary care and hormone levels. The Kyla app lets you monitor your data conveniently. It also displays graphs so you can visualize your progress. The Kyla app health assessment will also help you identify health risks depending on your lifestyle while creating a tailored plan to support your cognitive functions.

Downloading Kyla’s app is the first step toward changing your perspective. Instead of dreading aging, you’ll learn to embrace it. Which brings up another myth.

Myth: No one likes growing old. 

Fact: How you feel about aging can affect your health.

Many people in the U.S. view aging as a time of inevitable decline. However, in other cultures growing older is often celebrated. It’s a time of wisdom and reflection made easier by an active lifestyle and healthy diet. Studies have shown that people who dread growing older often become anxious and stressed about the process. Ironically it is this stress, not the advance of time, which causes the most health problems and even shortens life expectancy. 

While examining how attitudes affect healthy aging, Yale epidemiologist Becca Levy looked at thousands of respondents to the Ohio Longitudinal Study of Aging and Retirement. She discovered that those who had a positive attitude about aging lived 7.5 years longer on average than those with more negative attitudes. Minds really do matter – more than age, gender, health, or family background. 

A positive attitude is an anti-aging secret. Make a point of seeking out those older than yourself who are active physically and mentally. Find joy in the moment, rather than obsessing about the future or ruminating over the past. Don’t view aging as a time of chronic health problems but rather a time when you can utilize a lifetime’s accumulated wisdom and experiences. 

Myth: Starting an exercise program is dangerous when you get older.

Fact: Not exercising is one of the most dangerous things you can do. 

Exercise is another anti-aging secret. In fact, one common denominator among people across the world who have celebrated their 100th birthday is regular physical activity. Increasingly, doctors are pointing to walking as a great way to stay fit and strengthen not only your muscles but your bones. Walking can also improve your balance. Doing this can even help reverse aging. 

Anti-aging and moderate exercise go together. Start slowly and increase your speed and duration over time. Resistance training in the form of weights can also help slow the aging process and lengthen longevity. Walking can reduce the risk of arthritis – which is often characterized incorrectly as a natural part of aging. 

Exercise can do more to lower your biological age than almost anything else. If you haven’t had a consistent exercise routine for more than a year, you’ll want to start slow. Making an appointment with a qualified personal trainer can help. You may also want to speak with your primary care physician.

Myth: The older you are, the less sleep you need. 

Fact: Older people need nearly as much sleep as a young adult.

Few things will age you as rapidly as lack of sleep. If you’re consistently clocking fewer than six hours of shuteye a night, you’re setting yourself up for some serious health issues. Sleep is anti-aging. It helps with memory, stress, and gives your body time to recover from physical activity. Making sleep a priority can change your health and even help reverse aging. 

Myth: There’s a magic pill for anti-aging. 

Fact: Supplements can help with aging but they aren’t the only solution. 

Longevity supplements like omega 3s, vitamin B complex, vitamin D are effective in the anti-aging battle. Collagen supplements can also help with healthy skin and as protection against free radicals. However, there’s no pill that will help with healthy aging like living a healthy lifestyle.  

If you’re concerned about vitamin deficiency, hormone levels, or want to learn more about health risks, the first thing to do is order an at-home blood test from Kyla. Because while most companies charge hundreds of dollars for these tests, Kyla’s is just $99. The cost may even be covered by your  insurance. Just take a brief quiz, choose the best test for your needs and get the test kit in the mail. After collecting your sample, return it to our labs postage-free. 

You’ll soon learn not only if you have B and D vitamin deficiencies but also cancer risk, heart health, and much more. And by downloading the Kyla app, you discover lifestyle adjustments to lengthen your life expectancy while lowering your biological age. You’ll even learn your anticipated lifespan. 

By 2055, the number of Americans living to at least 100 will quadruple to more than 400,000. At Kyla, that’s just a start. In the future it may be possible to add more than one year of life for every year you are alive. This concept, known as longevity escape velocity, means that in the future as diseases and chronic conditions are eliminated, aging will be as well. There’s no need to wait, however, healthy aging is possible today. 

“Aging has excited the imagination throughout the history of humankind,”  Carlos Lopez-Otin, a biochemist at the University of Oviedo in Spain told The Wall Street Journal. “But it’s only recently that it has been subjected to profound scientific scrutiny.” Join the anti-aging battle by downloading the Kyla app today! 

Sources: 

1. “The Truth Behind Age-Old Myths,” Rush University System for Health. https://www.rush.edu/news/truth-behind-age-old-myths 
2. Tucker, Larry A, and Kayla Parker. “10-Year Weight Gain in 13,802 US Adults: The Role of Age, Sex, and Race.” Journal of Obesity. May 6, 2022. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9106499
3. Brain Health Is Rooted in State of Mind, Finds Study,” Columbia University Irving Medical Center. June 18, 2024. https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/brain-health-rooted-state-mind-finds-study
4. Hittner, Emily F. et. al. “ Positive Affect Is Associated With Less Memory Decline: Evidence From a 9-Year Longitudinal Study,” Psychological Science. October 22, 2020. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797620953883
5. Morris, Martha Clare et al. “MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging.” Alzheimer’s & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. September 11, 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26086182/
6. Whitman, Debra. “Essay: Want to Live a Long and Fulfilling Life? Change How You Think About Getting Old,” The Wall Street Journal. November 7, 2024. https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/want-to-live-a-long-and-fulfilling-life-change-how-you-think-about-getting-old-210de5c6?st=ztMtb9
7. Mosbergen, Dominique. “How We Age—and How Scientists Are Working to Turn Back the Clock,” The Wall Street Journal. August 26, 2023. https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/why-do-we-age-5adbb984?st=pbkc6Q
8. Lewis, Danny. “How to Maximize the Surprising Upsides to Aging,” The Wall Street Journal. November 20, 2024. https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/aging-living-longer-benefits-70a248d9?st=6NnDEo