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Eating These Foods Could Turn Back Your Body’s Biological Clock
When it comes to aging, the number on your birthday cake might not tell the whole story.
Scientists now look beyond chronological age to something called epigenetic age—a more accurate marker of how your cells are aging. And according to new research, what you eat could help slow that process.
In a study published in the journal Aging, researchers found that certain plant-based foods, referred to as methyl adaptogens, were significantly linked to a reduction in epigenetic age. These foods include turmeric, garlic, rosemary, berries, green tea, and oolong tea.
What is epigenetic age & why it matters
Epigenetic age is a measure of biological aging based on DNA methylation, a process that tags our DNA and helps control which genes turn on or off. As we age, DNA methylation patterns shift, and these shifts can either speed up or slow down the aging process at the cellular level.
To measure this, researchers used Horvath’s epigenetic clock, a widely validated tool that estimates biological age by analyzing DNA methylation patterns.
The study: Looking closer at diet & DNA
This analysis was based on data from the Methylation Diet and Lifestyle study, a pilot randomized controlled trial that involved healthy men between the ages of 50 and 72. Participants followed an eight-week program featuring a nutrient-rich, mostly plant-based diet along with exercise, sleep, and stress management guidelines.
Researchers wanted to understand why some participants experienced greater reductions in epigenetic age than others. The answer, it turns out, may lie in specific foods.
After adjusting for weight loss and baseline biological age, they found that people who ate more methyl adaptogen foods showed greater reductions in epigenetic age. Specifically, statistical analysis showed that methyl adaptogen intake was significantly associated with lower epigenetic age (by about one year!).
In other words, the more methyl adaptogens consumed, the younger the cells appeared.
How these foods may work on a cellular level
The foods in this study (think green tea, turmeric, berries) are packed with polyphenols that can influence key enzymes responsible for DNA methylation, including DNA methyltransferases. These compounds also affect major cellular pathways that regulate metabolism, growth, and survival, all of which are tied to how we age.
Some of these compounds may even impact telomeres, protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten with age. Ingredients like EGCG from green tea, curcumin from turmeric, and anthocyanins from berries may help preserve telomere function in healthy cells, while promoting cell death in damaged or potentially cancerous ones.
Not just about calories or weight loss
Interestingly, while the intervention group did lose more weight than the control group, weight loss wasn’t associated with reductions in epigenetic age in the final analysis. This challenges the idea that calorie restriction alone is responsible for slowing biological aging, at least in the short term.
How reliable are these findings?
While the study offers promising insights, it’s important to note its limitations. The sample size was small (38 participants) and included only middle-aged men, most of whom were white. That makes it difficult to apply the findings to women or more diverse populations.
Still, the results are in line with broader global research1 showing that polyphenol-rich diets, such as the Mediterranean and traditional Japanese diets2, are linked to slower biological aging. Future studies should aim to replicate these findings in larger, more diverse groups and with a broader range of aging biomarkers.
The takeaway
This study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that diet, particularly foods rich in plant-based polyphenols, may play a powerful role in how we age at the cellular level.
While more research is needed, incorporating methyl adaptogen foods like turmeric, berries, garlic, rosemary, and green tea into your diet could be a science-backed way to support healthy aging.