5 Food Items in Your Kitchen That Help Delay Signs of Ageing

One of the biggest concerns that has taken the beauty and health world by storm in the last couple of years is ageing.

Consequently, corporations and capitalism were quick to jump on the bandwagon to flood you with all kinds of creams and cosmetics to somehow take effects of the passage of time off your face.

However, before you move to slathering the latest ‘anti-ageing’ product on your face, it is imperative to remember that what goes inside your body is very, very crucial when it comes to the efficacy of these products.

It is important to ensure that your diet and nutrition is designed to bolster your efforts, which is why we are looking at some important ingredients today.

Firstly, Stop Fighting Ageing

Ageing is inevitable, as long as you’re alive it will happen. To quote dermatologist Dr Shereene Idris “If we are not ageing, we are dead. And if we are dead…we have bigger problems.”

She goes ahead to remind us to throw words like “anti-ageing” out of the window for it suggests we are fighting against time, when instead we should be evolving and changing with it.

With that cleared and out of the way, let us proceed.

Age-Delaying Foods in Your Kitchen

Getting straight into the heart of things, Ms Shivani Kandwal, dietitian, nutritionist, diabetes educator, and founder of a wellness platform, Nutrivibes, lists down food items you can easily find in your kitchen if you are primarily looking for age-delaying benefits.

They are as follows:

1. Mushrooms

Easily found all over India, mushrooms are a rich source of antioxidants called ergothioneine and glutathione.

Antioxidants are crucial in fighting the effects of ageing on your skin. It is the white button mushrooms which are especially rich in this, underlines the expert.

2. Grapes

Grapes have resveratrol which is an antioxidant that may help in reducing the damage caused by the sun.

3. Green Tea Extracts

Green tea extracts, one of the ingredients Ms Kandwal speaks about on length, is uniquely useful when we speak of ageing.

An extract is a concentrated form of green tea, often available in the form of powder, liquid or capsules with just a single capsule containing the same amount of active ingredients as an entire cup of green tea.

The tea in itself is a rich diet source for it contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants like EGCG, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Vitamin E which are all proven to have age-delaying properties.

4. Rice, Oats and Ferulic Acid

Ferulic acid is an antioxidant that works to boost the effects of other antioxidants, underlines Ms Kandwal.

It helps to protect overall skin integrity by reducing the development of fine lines, spots, and wrinkles. It’s naturally found in a variety of foods, including bran, oats, rice, eggplant, and apple seeds.

5. Licorice Extracts

Licorice comes from the root of the licorice plant (glycyrrhiza glabra). This extract is filled with a variety of beneficial compounds which do everything from delivering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects to helping fade dark spots.

It also removes excess melanin, acts as a potent antioxidant, and controls oil production in the skin.

Of all the ingredients, this is the trickiest to find in your kitchen. Common sources of licorice are mostly the root of the plant itself and dietary supplements.

However, please note that neither of them should be consumed without the guidance of a medical expert.

(Rosheena Zehra is a published author and media professional. You can find out more about her work here.)