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Today’s Health Upgrade
The age when life gets better
Can Vitamin D slow aging?
Dieting and hormones
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Health
The Surprising Age When Life Starts Getting Better
Young people are often told, “These are the best years of your life.” But the data says that might not be true.
Scientists found that well-being doesn’t peak in youth — it improves steadily with age.
In the most extensive study of its kind, researchers tracked more than 200,000 people from 22 countries for five years to measure what it means to flourish. Scientists examined happiness, purpose, relationships, and even generosity.
While past research showed a U-shaped curve — higher well-being in youth, a dip in middle age, and a rebound later in life — the new data paints a different picture. Flourishing appears to be relatively equal from ages 18 to 49, but increases significantly after 50. That includes areas like:
Inner peace
Optimism
Mastery
Meaning and purpose
Gratitude
Relationship quality
Researchers suspect two reasons for this shift: rising mental health challenges in young people and increasing fulfillment that comes with life experience.
It might sound surprising to some, but considering aging as a gift could be a competitive advantage that increases well-being with time.
Don’t dread getting older; instead, shift your mindset to see it as something to look forward to. And if you’re younger and struggling, you’re not alone. Flourishing isn’t fixed. It often takes time and struggles, but the best might still be ahead.
On Our Radar
Can Vitamin D Help Slow Aging?
Vitamin D might be the most polarizing supplement. Some studies suggest numerous benefits, and others find that it doesn’t do anything.
The real answer might depend on what your blood says is happening within your body. And if your levels are low, making a change could give your longevity a vital boost.
A new 4-year clinical trial suggests that daily vitamin D3 supplementation could help reduce biological aging by slowing the loss of telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of your DNA.
Researchers randomly assigned about 1,000 participants either vitamin D3 (2,000 IU/day), marine omega-3 fatty acids (1 g/day), both, or a placebo. They measured a marker of cellular aging (leukocyte telomere length or LTL) after 2 years and again after 4 years.
Participants who took vitamin D3 experienced significantly less telomere shortening than those taking a placebo. At the same time, Omega-3s had no significant effect on telomere length.
Telomeres naturally shorten as we age, and shorter telomeres have been linked to increased risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and cognitive decline. The researchers suggest that vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory and DNA-repair roles may be responsible for preserving telomere length.
That said, this is not a call to megadose vitamin D. The average person in the U.S. already gets enough Vitamin D from sun exposure and diet. But for those who are deficient or have higher inflammation risk, targeted supplementation may help.
Ask your doctor for a blood test if you suspect low vitamin D. If supplementation is needed, the study suggests 2,000 IU/day. And remember—supplements are support, not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle. Get your movement, manage stress, and eat plenty of plants and protein. That’s the real age-defying strategy.
Nutrition
Is Your Diet Disrupting Your Hormones?
Many people believe that eating more fat boosts testosterone and that low-fat diets can throw your hormones out of balance. But before you eat more fat than you want, consider this:
A new review found low-fat diets don’t significantly affect your hormones compared to higher-fat diets.
Researchers reviewed 11 randomized controlled trials with nearly 1,000 participants. The scientists found no significant difference between low-fat and high-fat diets on estradiol, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), DHEA, progesterone, and androstenedione.
That means whether you’re eating 25 or 45 percent of your calories from fat, your hormone levels likely won’t budge.
It’s just another reminder that there are many ways to design a diet that works for you. Hormonal fear-mongering is common in diet culture. But this research suggests your hormone health is resilient and probably influenced more by sleep, training, stress, and total energy intake than whether you drizzle olive oil on your veggies.
Now, that doesn’t mean dramatic changes don’t have any impact. If you drop fat levels to extreme lows, it could cause a disruption in hormone levels based on prior studies. But there’s a wide range where you don’t need to overthink how much fat you consume, assuming your total calories move you closer to your goals and your bloodwork is healthy.
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
