Did you know the food you eat can either make you age faster or slower? If you regularly consume a lot of greasy, heavily processed foods, you can bet you’re taking years off your life and appearance. On the other hand, if you consume healthy, whole foods that are rich in antioxidants (such as fruits), you’re giving your body the chance to live a longer, more youthful life.
Understanding Antioxidants
The key to consuming a diet that supports your anti-aging goals is to incorporate more fruits into your meals and snacks. Fruits are packed full of antioxidants, which are molecules that neutralize free radicals floating around in your body. Free radicals are compounds that lead to premature aging by stealing electrons from your body’s healthy cells. When this happens, the health of each impacted cell is compromised.
Antioxidants step in and prevent free radicals from damaging the cells in your body by giving those free radicals one of their own electrons. In this way, antioxidants prevent premature aging and can help you hold onto your youthful appearance for as long as possible.
The Best Anti-Aging Fruits
All fruits contain antioxidants, but some have higher levels than others. Here are some of my favorite anti-aging fruits to consume regularly.
Berries
I love to consume berries of all types because they’re low in calories compared to other types of fruit and they’re some of the best anti-aging fruits out there. They also happen to be delicious and complement a wide variety of dishes.
Pomegranates
I find it somewhat tricky to eat pomegranates because it’s challenging to get the arils out. But once you do, you have a sweet and tart treat that tastes amazing and is extremely good for you. Pomegranate arils are antioxidant superstars. They also have anti-inflammatory properties and can boost your overall health. If you want to slow down your body’s aging processes, try to eat pomegranates regularly.
Kiwis
Kiwifruit is a tropical type of fruit that is loaded with vitamins C and E. Both of these vitamins are also considered antioxidants and help to protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals.
Mangosteen
Mangosteen isn’t the most well-known fruit, but it’s another one of my favorites for combatting the common symptoms of aging. This delicious fruit contains high amounts of vitamin C and the antioxidant catechin. It’s an anti-aging powerhouse that makes a great addition to any diet.
Apples
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it turns out it can also keep wrinkles at bay. Apples contain enzymes that contribute to skin health and may inhibit the development of wrinkles. In addition to eating apple slices regularly, I also like to make an apple paste and apply it to my face occasionally to nourish my skin.
Grapes
Grapes used to be considered the food of kings, and it’s easy to see why. Grapes are highly decadent and rich. They also happen to be full of antioxidants that can prevent skin damage from ultraviolet radiation. Eat them as a standalone snack or toss them into a fruit salad to start benefitting from the anti-aging nutrients they provide.
Papaya
Papaya is another one of those exotic fruits that tastes so amazing it’s hard to believe it’s good for you, too. Eating papaya is a great way to nourish and tone your skin. The nutrients in papaya also fight off the formation of wrinkles so you can keep your young complexion as long as possible.
The trick to spotting antioxidant-rich, anti-aging fruits is to pay attention to their color. The higher the antioxidant content, the darker and richer in color the fruit tends to be.