Source: Email contribution
Sunflower Seeds
Eating foods that are high in copper, like sunflower seeds, can be beneficial. Your genes determine how old you'll be when you first start to go gray so stop the gray.
Apples
What They Do: Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
Bowden recommends eating foods high in quercetin, a nutrient found in apples and onions that has been shown to help fight cancer.
Salmon
What It Does: Keeps your heart healthy
Foods like salmon that are high in omega-3 fatty acids may help lower your risk of heart attack and have been shown to lower blood pressure.
Olive Oil
What It Does: Prevents wrinkles
Want to stay wrinkle-free, or at least prevent further skin aging.
Blueberries
What They Do: Fight memory loss
Even as early as your 20s, you can begin to see changes in your memory.
Hot Peppers
What They Do: Rev up your metabolism
It's a fact of life that as you age your metabolism gets sluggish, but adding some spice to your diet will help to keep your body burning.
Lean Protein
What It Does: Maintains muscle
Eggs, chicken, fish and lean cuts of beef, such as flank steak, are good sources. A known side effect of aging, muscle loss, can be reduced by eating enough protein. "Protein consists of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle; therefore, an adequate daily intake helps maintain, repair and build muscle.
Water
What It Does: Hydrates Your Skin
With age, our skin produces less oil and loses its elasticity. To fight off the effects of dehydration, "It's very important to drink plenty of water and try to limit caffeine and alcoholic beverages, which can enhance dehydration," Taub-Dix says. How much fluid a person needs depends on a variety of factors, such as physical activity and climate, but eight glasses a day is a good amount to aim for.
Carrots
What They Do: Protect Your Eyes
The most common cause of vision loss in people over 50 is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But eating carrots, which are filled with beta carotene, can help stave off AMD, says Taub-Dix. So start munching: The earlier you begin eating beta-carotene rich foods the better.