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Nearly every day, it seems like there’s a headline about ways to stay young and turn back the clock on aging. One day, it’s the newest miracle skin cream; the next, the latest diet or fitness craze. But it’s important to take “anti-aging” claims with a grain of salt. "There's just not much evidence that any of that stuff will extend your lifespan or make you healthier," says Karen Galichon, MD, of Primary Health Group in Henrico, Virginia.
The fact is, aging is a natural and healthy part of life. When we come to terms with the fact that aging is inevitable—even beautiful—we can learn to enjoy and embrace the value of every phrase of our lives rather than continually focusing on ways to defy time and stay young.
Here are five common misconceptions about aging—plus pointers on what may actually increase longevity and contribute to healthy living at every age.
Sources: American Academy of Dermatology Associat... + 11
- American Academy of Dermatology Association. How to Select Anti-Aging Skin Care Products. Page accessed on November 29, 2022.
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- Harris, William, Tintle, Nathan. The Omega-3 Index can serve as a marker of overall health in older Americans. Erythrocyte Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels are Inversely Associated with Mortality and with Incident Cardiovascular Disease: the Framingham Heart Study. Journal of Clinical Lipidology. 2018;12:10.1016.
- Zia, Aliabbas, Farkhondeh, Tahereh, Mohammad Pourbagher-Shahri, Ali, Samarghandian, Saeed. The role of curcumin in aging and senescence: Molecular mechanisms. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2021;134:111119.
- Harvard Health Publishing. Working later in life can pay off in more than just income. June 1, 2018.
- Morris BJ, Willcox BJ, Donlon TA. Genetic and epigenetic regulation of human aging and longevity. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2019;1865(7):1718-1744.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthy Eating For a Healthy Weight. Page last updated June 30, 2022.
- Frisch M, Simonsen J. Marriage, cohabitation and mortality in Denmark: national cohort study of 6.5 million persons followed for up to three decades (1982-2011). Int J Epidemiol. 2013;42(2):559-578.
