{"id":761434,"date":"2026-09-06T02:34:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T02:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/761434\/"},"modified":"2026-09-06T02:34:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T02:34:22","slug":"longevity-what-might-actually-help-slow-down-aging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/761434\/","title":{"rendered":"Longevity: What might actually help slow down aging?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"close-upShare on Pinterest<\/a>Can you slow down aging? A new study shows what helps and what likely doesn\u2019t. MoMo Productions\/ Getty ImagesWe all want to delay the aging process and gain extra healthy life years, but what are the best interventions to help you age well?A new study investigating epigenetic biomarkers as a measure of aging has found that certain dietary, lifestyle and pharmacological interventions may help us age more slowly.However, over-the-counter supplements appeared to have no effect on these biomarkers of aging.The authors caution that changes in epigenetic biomarkers do not prove that interventions slow aging, but can indicate biological changes related to aging faster than long-term studies can.<\/p>\n

Aging is inevitable, but we all want to stay fit and healthy for as long as possible as we age. And biological age<\/a> \u2014 a person\u2019s physiological state rather than the actual time since their birth \u2014 is a good measure of how well you are aging.<\/p>\n

Biomarkers in the blood, called epigenetic clocks, can measure biological age by looking at methyl groups attached to DNA. Previous research<\/a> has shown that these epigenetic tags on DNA change over the course of a person\u2019s lifetime.<\/p>\n

Now, a study looking at these blood biomarkers has found that some dietary, lifestyle and pharmacological interventions may change the methylation patterns on a person\u2019s DNA and indicate how fast they are aging.<\/p>\n

The study, published in Nature Medicine<\/a>, found that a Mediterranean diet<\/a>, regular exercise, some diabetes and weight-management medications, and some anti-inflammatory drugs might be linked to slower aging.<\/p>\n

\u015eebnem \u00dcnl\u00fci\u015fler<\/a>, Chief Longevity Officer and genetic engineer at the London Regenerative Institute, who was not involved in the study, explained for Medical News Today:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe important contribution of this study is its scale and standardised approach. The researchers harmonised data from 51 longitudinal intervention studies and applied the same panel of 16 epigenetic clocks and 94 additional DNA methylation biomarkers. This made it possible to compare how different biomarkers respond to different interventions more systematically. The study also suggests that newer biomarkers trained to predict mortality risk or the pace of aging, particularly DunedinPACE and PCGrimAge, may be more responsive than clocks designed primarily to predict chronological age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Corresponding author Raghav Sehgal<\/a>, PhD, Associate Research Scientist in Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, said that while their results were interesting, they cannot prove that these interventions slow aging.<\/p>\n

\u201cBiomarkers are useful because they may let us see biological changes over months or years, rather than having to wait decades for outcomes like disease or death. But they are not a replacement for long-term studies. We still need to show that changes in these measures actually translate into people staying healthier, functioning better, or living longer,\u201d Sehgal told MNT.<\/p>\n

The researchers combined data from 51 anti-aging intervention studies, measuring more than 110 DNA methyl biomarkers related to aging. They then looked at the effect of various interventions \u2014 diet, exercise, certain medications, and over-the-counter supplements \u2014 on these biomarkers.<\/p>\n

Two lifestyle interventions were effective in reducing epigenetic aging, according to the biomarker measurements \u2014 following a healthy diet, such as a Mediterranean, low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet, and engaging in regular exercise.<\/p>\n

They saw the greatest effect with some medications. Metformin<\/a>, a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes, semaglutide<\/a>, a GLP-1 agonist prescribed for type 2 diabetes and weight control, and anti-TNF therapies<\/a>, which are used to control inflammation, all significantly decreased age across all 16 epigenetic clock biomarkers.<\/p>\n

\u201cPharmacological interventions showed the largest average effects, while lifestyle and dietary interventions tended to produce more consistent responses across different biomarkers,\u201d \u00dcnl\u00fci\u015fler told MNT. <\/p>\n

For supplements, there was little evidence of anti-aging effects. \u201cThe evidence for supplements was limited and inconsistent,\u201d Sehgal told us.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat does not mean supplements are useless. They can be valuable for people with specific deficiencies or medical needs. But for generally healthy people, many anti-aging claims are ahead of the evidence. It is sensible to focus first on diet, exercise, sleep, and preventive care, and to discuss supplements with a clinician when appropriate,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

While the findings give insight into DNA aging biomarkers, \u00dcnl\u00fci\u015fler cautioned that \u201cthis study highlights both the potential and the current limitations of epigenetic biomarkers.\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next essential step is to establish whether changes in these biomarkers reliably predict meaningful outcomes such as preserved physical and cognitive function, reduced disease incidence and longer healthspan,\u201c she advised.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil then, epigenetic clocks should be viewed as promising research tools rather than standalone clinical endpoints or definitive measures of an individual\u2019s health,\u201d added \u00dcnl\u00fci\u015fler.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe key point is that a biomarker responding to an intervention is not the same as proving that the intervention slows aging. Our study asks whether these measures detect change. The next challenge is to identify which changes are meaningful for health and longevity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Raghav Sehgal, PhD<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is not yet a single intervention proven to broadly slow aging in humans,\u201d Sehgal told us. \u201cThe best-supported measures remain fairly unglamorous: not smoking, exercising regularly, eating well, sleeping adequately, and managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u00dcnl\u00fci\u015fler agreed, noting that \u201cregular aerobic and resistance exercise, a balanced Mediterranean-style diet, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, limiting alcohol and getting sufficient, consistent sleep all support long-term metabolic, cardiovascular and cognitive health.\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is equally important to monitor and properly manage conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,\u201d she advised.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot change our chronological age, but we can influence many of the biological processes that determine how well we age. At present, these established behaviours have much stronger evidence for supporting healthspan than any single supplement or so-called anti-aging treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Sebnem Unluisler<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestCan you slow down aging? A new study shows what helps and what likely doesn\u2019t. MoMo…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":761435,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[1934,59,102,6958,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-761434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-aging","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-longevity","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/761434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=761434"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/761434\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/761435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=761434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=761434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=761434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}