8 Modifiable Lifestyle Choices to Slow Down Biological Aging

Aging is a common contributor to the development of disease, and vice versa, but how can we slow it down? Here, we explore a recent study that highlights the lifestyle modifications that can favour your body clock and slow down the biological aging process.

Content Outline

• What is aging and what can we do about it?
• The role of DNA methylation in aging
• What modifiable lifestyle factors can reduce biological age?
• 1. Diet
• 2. Hydration
• 3. Intermittent fasting
• 4. Prebiotics 
• 5. Probiotics
• 6. Exercise
• 7. Sleep
• 8. Stress management
• What do the results of the study mean?
• Putting It All Together: A Real‑World Anti‑Aging Blueprint
• Summary

What is aging and what can we do about it?

Aging is a natural part of the human life cycle, but it’s not one that many of us celebrate or welcome. There are many types of aging and several factors that can contribute to speeding it up or even slowing it down, including the gut microbiome.

Your chronological age is how many birthdays you’ve had, but biological age is how well your body systems are functioning, based on factors like DNA methylation, organ health, and cellular wear and tear

The scientific definition of aging is:

“The time-related deterioration of the physiological functions necessary for survival and fertility.”1

There are 12 hallmarks of aging that scientists have identified to help us understand the complex mechanisms that underpin the aging process. Aging is also a common driver of chronic diseases – one of the leading causes of poor health and death worldwide2.

Targeting chronic disease could be one way to help us mitigate aging because many are preventable by addressing four major lifestyle factors:

1. poor nutrition

2. physical inactivity

3. smoking

4. excessive alcohol consumption

Here, we explore the modifiable lifestyle factors that have been shown to reduce biological aging in men by over 3 years3 and 4.6 years in women4. Yes, you read that right. While your chronological age continues to increase yearly, your biological age is malleable. Our genes will heavily influence our biological age, but our modifiable behaviours can tip the scales. 

The role of DNA methylation in aging

Determining biological age is calculated using DNA methylation marks. DNA methylation can affect gene expression and how genes are read because it involves direct chemical changes to DNA4. This epigenetic modification has important consequences for aging5. So, DNA methylation levels are a leading biomarker for understanding biological age, and despite genetics being a major determinant, lifestyle factors can also affect it. 

Figure 1. Epigenetic clock across the human lifespan. DNA methylation can help predict chronological and biological age. Increased methylation that can be made worse by certain lifestyle factors can accelerate aging and contribute to the development of age-related chronic illness. However, identifying protective factors will help to slow aging6. 

What modifiable lifestyle factors can reduce biological age?

Fitzgerald and colleagues have found that following an 8-week methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle program can help to reduce your biological age. In a previous study conducted in men, they found that the same program reduced biological age by 3.2 years, on average. In women, the program lowered biological age by 4.6 years. 

Let’s take a look at the lifestyle modifications that the participants in the study had to adhere to and how they contribute to healthier aging.

 

1. Diet

Diet is a major contributor to the aging process, but there are also certain compounds that can help to slow it down. For example, polyphenols like quercetin, present in our Apple Peel Powder, curcumin, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) are naturally demethylating agents. 

While vitamins, like vitamins A and C are also involved in biological processes that help maintain proper gene expression, limiting the effects of aging. In the study by Fitzgerald et al, the participants were instructed to eat 3 servings of liver per week, a potent source of vitamin A.  

Diet is a critical factor when it comes to aging, and eating the right foods in the right quantities is important for preventing changes to your DNA that could speed up the aging process. You can learn more in our ‘6 Must-Eat Daily Anti-Aging Foods’ guide. 

2. Hydration

The study asked participants to aim to drink 8 cups of water per day. Water is a major structural component of DNA and helps to mediate protein-DNA interactions and influences the methylation process.

While water-soluble B vitamins, like folate and vitamins B6 and B12 are coenzymes for multiple steps in one-carbon metabolism7, a process which supports many physiological processes8. 

In mouse studies, mice whose water intake was restricted led to organ degeneration and a shorter lifespan9. Water also supports many cellular processes and maintains skin elasticity, preventing the appearance of wrinkles, a common physical sign of aging.

3. Intermittent fasting

During the study, the participants had to commit to 12 hours of intermittent fasting per day by not eating between 7pm and 7am. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that intermittent fasting can improve physiological function, slow down age-related disease, and improve performance, as well as have a positive impact on body weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar control10. 

A study comparing the effects of intermittent fasting and calorie restriction on aging-related outcomes found that they were equally effective. However, intermittent fasting had health benefits across a wide range of conditions and was likely better tolerated11. 

4. Prebiotics

Prebiotic fibers like those found in vegetables, seeds, and pulses, all of which were included in the Fitzgerald study, fuel your beneficial gut bacteria. A diverse, abundant, and healthy microbiome reduces systemic inflammation and produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which can have positive effects on DNA methylation.

Butyrate, one of the most researched SCFAs, can reduce cell proliferation and increase cell death in cancerous colon cells12. At the same time, animal studies show that SCFAs may correct the aberrant expression of adipokines linked to obesity13. 

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), complex sugars found in breast milk that are critical for infant health and development, have a prebiotic effect. They feed the gut-promoting microbes in the gut, strengthening the immune system, and increasing the production of beneficial compounds like SCFAs and vitamins.

More recent research has revealed that a specific HMO, 6’SL, can prevent sarcopenia – age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, making it a potential therapy for older adults to take advantage of its anti-aging benefits. Get yours here.

5. Probiotics

Prebiotics and probiotics are increasingly being recognized for their potential benefits in promoting healthy aging by modulating the gut microbiome and reducing inflammation. Probiotics are the live beneficial bacteria and yeasts that exist in the gut.

As part of the Fitzgerald study, participants were given probiotic supplements, containing Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. Research shows that probiotics support gut barrier function, reduce inflammatory signalling, and influence epigenetic markers. So, by modulating the immune response, probiotics may contribute to slowing biological aging at the cellular level. 

6. Exercise

The intervention study incorporated a minimum of 30 minutes of daily exercise at an intensity of 60 to 80% of maximum perceived exertion.The benefits of physical activity cannot be underestimated. Ho et al (2022) demonstrated that a combination of diet and exercise effectively lowered biological age more than exercise and a control14. 

Further studies have shown that high levels of moderate to vigorous exercise (≥450 minutes per week) are associated with a longer life expectancy15. 

7. Sleep 

Poor sleep increases cortisol levels, oxidative stress, and accelerates epigenetic aging and a 15% increase in the risk of developing metabolic disease16. Good quality sleep can slow the accumulation of beta-amyloid and support DNA repair, which may reduce biological age and dementia risk17. 

In the intervention study, participants were encouraged to average a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night. It is believed that adults who get less than 7 hours of sleep a night may have more health issues than those who sleep for at least 7 hours18.

8. Stress management

Finally, the 8-week protocol included daily breathing and relaxation techniques to manage stress. Chronic stress raises cortisol levels, the stress hormones, and increases inflammation, both of which are major drivers of epigenetic aging19.

However, adhering to breathing exercises was the most challenging part of the protocol for participants, with the average adherence rate being 57.5% compared to 93.7% for intermittent fasting. Yet, anti-stress activities, like Yoga, have been proven to increase antioxidant levels, reduce oxidative stress, and improve mitochondrial function20. 

What do the results of the study mean?

The study was small, involving just six women, but it is a promising case series, even if it is not yet a large-scale randomized trial. Yet, its findings do align with the results from previous research, including:

• multimodal interventions, like a combination of diet and exercise, consistently reduce epigenetic age

• lifestyle factors do account for a significant share of biological age clock variability

• brain-specific biological age is strongly predictive of lifespan, reinforcing the importance of sleep, exercise, and stress management

Putting It All Together: A Real‑World Anti‑Aging Blueprint

Regardless, putting all of the findings from the study together, making small changes to your lifestyle can go a long way in promoting your overall health and wellbeing. 

You don’t need a clinical protocol to benefit and there are some simple steps you can take:

Summary

Your biological age can be slowed, and possibly even reversed, by making minor lifestyle changes. A multimodal approach, like that in the Fitzgerald study, can reduce epigenetic age by 3 to 4 years in just 8 weeks, so what have you got to lose?

Why not get a head start with our MitiAging Anti-Aging Bundle?

Written by: Leanne Edermaniger, M.Sc. Leanne is a professional science writer who specializes in human health and enjoys writing about all things related to the gut microbiome.