Fighting aging by staying younger longer is hardly a new fixation. Five centuries ago, the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León thought he had the key to slowing down the aging process when (according to legend) he explored the Florida peninsula searching for the fountain of youth. From pills to plastic surgery to Botox, we’ve been searching ever since.

But there might be a better way to stay younger longer, and that’s by avoiding bad habits that cause us to age faster. That was our take-away from this recent article from US News in which reporter Barbara Sadick shares some lifestyle habits and diet choices that have been shown to have a profound effect, not only on our physical and mental health, but also on our body’s aging process.

Bottom line: if youthfulness is our goal, let’s start by tackling what we’re calling “aging accelerators.” We think Sadick’s list is a good, common-sense place to start.

Avoiding Aging Accelerators: Chronological vs. Biological Age

“As experts learn more about the aging process, it’s become apparent that humans have two ages: their chronological age and their biological age,” Sadick begins. She then explains this intriguing idea this way: “Your chronological age is the number of years you’ve been alive, while your biological age refers to how old your cells and tissues are based on physiological evidence.”

Because of this, asking someone, “How old are you?” might be a more complicated question than you think!

Aside from chronic diseases and other physical health issues, Sadick notes that there are several factors—lifestyle, diet, and even mental well-being—that can “speed up” or “slow down” your biological clock.

“What you do in your 40s and 50s may determine how you age as you get older, and the earlier you make changes to your lifestyle, the better your quality of life will be in the long term,” says Dr. Lee Lindquist, chief of geriatrics at Northwestern Medicine.

According to Sadick and the experts she consulted, here are six surprising things that can age you more quickly.

Aging Accelerator #1: Added Sugar in Your Diet

There’s a reason this is the first entry on the list. Sadick says that added sugars are the “worst offender” for premature aging.

The science behind this is pretty clear, too. Sadick explains, “When sugars are heated, it causes a chemical reaction with amino acids – known as the Maillard reaction – that creates the distinctive flavor when foods are browned (for example, toasted marshmallows, caramels and bread crusts). While they may be appealing to the taste buds, the Maillard reaction can lead to glycation, a result of excess sugars in the bloodstream that damage proteins in the body, causing skin wrinkles, cataracts and heart disease.”

Dr. Robert Lustig, emeritus professor of pediatrics, division of endocrinology at UCSF, does not beat around the bush when it comes to the importance of sugar as a factor in your health. “Getting added sugars out of your diet is the single most powerful weapon you have against aging,” he says. “If you don’t do that, nothing else matters.”

Another problem: because foods with added sugars typically have little or no fiber, the body absorbs them faster, causing blood glucose levels to spike. This leads to insulin surges, and repeated surges in your blood glucose can cause a myriad of problems including heart disease, kidney problems, eyesight issues, and neuropathy.

Aging Accelerator #2: Unresolved Stress

Sadick defines stress as “a feeling of emotional or physical tension that comes from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry or nervous. It triggers hormones that produce needed physiological changes to react to threatening situations.”

Like many reactions in the body, stress has both a positive and a negative side. It can help us to avoid danger or meet an important deadline, for example. But, Sadick warns, “if it becomes chronic, the constant release of the stress hormone cortisol can lead to an increased chance of developing diseases that can age your cells and, therefore, you.”

Studies link stress with cellular aging because stress affects the telomeres, which are caps at the ends of chromosomes that help to maintain the stability of DNA. As each cell divides, telomeres naturally get a little shorter. This is a normal part of cellular aging.

But chronic stress and high levels of stress hormones are believed to accelerate telomere shortening, and this leads to more rapid aging and a higher risk of age-related diseases.

“Prolonged release of stress hormones also causes inflammation, which accelerates the aging of the immune system and can be dangerous to the cells, tissues and organs, leading to increased risk for chronic diseases and early aging,” Sadick explains.

Lindquist adds, “Everyone has stress, but its effects can be reversed if you make it a priority to engage in self-relaxation techniques, make positive social connections and become more physically active.”

Aging Accelerator #3: Poor Sleep Patterns

We all like to get enough sleep, but according to experts, quality sleep is more vital to staying young than you might think.

“According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep is when important processing, restoration and strengthening occur throughout your immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems,” Sadick writes. “It’s when your body and brain recover from daily activities, restore nutrients, clear toxic materials and recharge your system.”

Getting enough quality sleep is essential to cardiovascular health, metabolic health, and brain health. Sleep deprivation is associated with accelerated biological aging, and doesn’t give your brain enough time to carry out its vital tasks; this impairs cognitive function. “The recommended amount of sleep for adults older than 18 years is at least 7 hours a night,” Sadick writes. “An estimated 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. don’t get enough sleep.”

As previously mentioned with stress, sleep disturbances are also related to the kinds of inflammation that can lead to chronic diseases. And sleep deprivation causes your body to make more white blood cells, which can create an imbalance in your immune system over time and inhibit your ability to fight off illnesses.

“Poor quality of sleep contributes to poor mental and physical health because when you’re tired, it prevents you from doing other things that keep you healthy, such as exercising and eating properly,” says Dr. Mandana Mahmoudi, the clinical director of sleep medicine at NYU Langone Health.

Aging Accelerator #4: Lack of Regular Exercise

Regular readers of the Blog know that we’re all about increasing your physical activity, even if it’s by small degrees, and here’s another good reason: it keeps you young!

“Many changes that are normally attributed to aging are, in fact, caused by lack of use of your body,” Sadick explains. “Without exercise, people over the age of 50 may experience many health problems, including reduced muscle mass, reduced strength and reduced physical endurance.”

Best way to stop physiological deterioration? Exercise of any kind, even moderate. “Just 30 to 40 minutes of exercise five days a week slows down biological aging and improves cardiac risk factors – like high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, blood pressure, diabetes, stress and obesity,” Sadick writes.

Aging Accelerator #5: Chronic Dehydration

The body, as we know, is composed of about 60 percent water. This means that proper hydration is part of every physiological function, and dehydration can lead to a whole host of problems.

Dehydration leads to lower energy levels, organs working improperly, and a dulling of your mental acuity. You’ll also age faster, since dehydration puts added stress on the heart, reduces lubrication in the joints (which means more aches and pains), and leaves your skin dry and more prone to wrinkles. It also prevents the body’s normal detoxification process from running smoothly, leaving you open to illnesses.

On the other hand, proper hydration can be a real boon to those looking to age gracefully.

“In fact, a 25-year study conducted by the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute demonstrated a link between hydration and aging,” Sadick explains. “According to the study, which was published in 2023, staying properly hydrated may slow down the aging process, reduce the risk of premature death and prolong a disease-free life.”

Aging Accelerator #6: Loneliness and Social Isolation

Sadick reminds us that loneliness isn’t just an emotion. Instead, it’s “a powerful modulator of brain, mind and behavior that invariably accelerates the aging process by increasing inflammation, impairing immune response, heightening our sense of threat and risk from our surroundings, and altering our diet, exercise and sleep habits.”

In this way, loneliness increases our biological age more than smoking. Sadick writes, “According to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s 2023 report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, social isolation increases the risk of premature death by 29 percent (equivalent to the impact of smoking 15 cigarettes a day), heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression and anxiety.”

According to experts, the effect of social isolation on mortality is comparable to the well-established risk factors of obesity and physical inactivity. But, Sadick notes, “Studies show that people who engage in meaningful, productive activities with others tend to live longer with more happiness, sense of purpose and better cognitive function.”

Dr. Jeremy Nobel, primary care physician with Harvard Medical School, is also president of the Foundation for Art & Healing, as well as Project UnLonely. He says, “While there is no panacea to slowing aging, increasing our sense of connection to one’s self and others would go a long way!”

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(originally reported at https://health.usnews.com)