They say we are what we eat! What goes into our bodies always shows up on the outside. This is why it’s so important to be mindful of what you eat. Here are 20 powerful anti-aging foods for optimal health after 50.
Knowing that our bodies rely on proper nutrition to keep us going as we age, is even more crucial. While it does take more than eating anti-aging foods to fight off aging, it certainly doesn’t hurt to watch what we are feeding our bodies.
When we eat and drink right, we feel good! Period.
As you reach your 50s and 60s, paying close attention to your nutrition becomes especially key to your overall health. The foods you eat can help promote good health and slow down age-related changes to your body, such as sluggish metabolism, muscle loss, and bone loss.
Source: Healthline
Before we dive into this, please remember I am not a health expert or nutritionist. Please consult with your doctor before you make any changes to your diet.
You might also really like these articles on anti-aging topics:
7 Best Supplements That Reverse Aging
All Natural Anti-Aging Skin Care Routine
How to Get Rid of Premature Wrinkles
(This post may contain affiliate links, so if you make a purchase, I may make a commission – affiliate disclosure here)
What Diet is Best For Anti-Aging?
It’s so important to watch what you eat. We already know that we are what we eat, so if you eat fast food and junk food, well, guess what? It will all show on your skin, not to mention your weight!
And we can’t forget to mention the damaging effects of smoking and drinking.
A good diet that is rich in vegetables, fruit, proteins, and simple carbs, plus a good exercise routine, is a good start.
20 Best Anti-Aging Foods For Glowing Skin
I’ve listed some anti-aging foods, some anti-aging beverages, and oils. Don’t forget to check with your doctor first or do a little allergy test to make sure you can eat, drink, or add any of the following items to your daily diet.
Here are the top anti-aging foods
1 Green Tea
Green tea has been heralded as the ultimate anti-aging tea, or should I say, the ultimate healthiest tea anyone can drink. Full of antioxidants, this powerful beverage, which can be enjoyed hot or cold, is great for reducing the risk of chronic disease and promoting healthier skin.
You can now find Green Tea in skin care products, like this amazing set which can be purchased from Amazon, hair products, and Matcha Tea as well.
2 Dark Chocolate/Dark Cocoa
Yum! Another superfood that is full of antioxidants and flavonoids helps protect the skin from sun damage and helps slow aging. Some studies suggest that it may increase blood flow, causing plumper and glowing skin.
And if you’re wondering what flavonoids do, there’s this from The National Library of Medicine:
Flavonoids possess a number of medicinal benefits, including anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties.
3 Blueberries
These wonderful little blue jewels are not only tasty and fun to pick fresh but also one of the best anti-aging foods you can consume. And with so many fun ways to eat them, why wouldn’t you add them to your diet?
But here are the benefits of blueberries. These cute little buggers are high and rich in Vitamins A and C, both awesome vitamins to fight aging and protect the skin from sun damage. And let’s not forget that blueberries are the #1 keto super fruit too!
4 Olive Oil
You can sprinkle this stuff on everything! Honestly, you can, and why not? Olive oil is one of the best oils for you. Rich in healthy fats and antioxidants, it helps reduce aging and has anti-inflammatory properties as well.
This oil is also really good for the skin and hair!
Try to choose cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil if you can! The better the quality, the better the benefits.
5 Papaya
Can’t have a list of anti-aging foods and not include papaya. This awesome fruit is not only great for eating, obviously, but it also makes an amazing anti-aging face mask. Full of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins, this delicious fruit helps improve skin elasticity and minimize fine lines.
Some of the vitamins found in papayas are A, C, K, B, E, and calcium.
Cut it up, eat it just like that, or mash it in a bowl and make a face mask. Either way, you use it, this fruit is the bomb.
6 Collagen Powder/Peptides
Whether you use it in powder form or take it in a capsule, collagen is undoubtedly one of the best anti-aging foods you can buy, though it’s not really a food but a supplement.
Our bodies naturally produce collagen, but as we age, the production slows down, so we need to add it to our diets.
Collage promotes healthy skin, hair, nails, bones, and muscles and helps maintain and support a strong, healthy body. You can’t go wrong with this.
You can find some great collagen powder, pills, and other supplements here.
7 Tomatoes
Because of their high lycopene content, tomatoes are one of the best anti-aging foods you should include in your daily diet. Lycopene acts as an antioxidant to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Toss some juicy tomatoes in a bowl with olive oil and Himalayan salt, and you’ll have a powerhouse snack.
While lycopene is said to protect the skin from sun damage, it’s also important to always wear good sunscreen. You can find some good ones here!
8 Avocados
While these may be bland and rather tasteless, they also pack a lot of benefits! Known as the fruit with good fat, they are high in monounsaturated fats, which help lower bad (LDL) cholesterol.
They are also full of essential nutrients and vitamins such as K, A, E, C, and B vitamins.
Not too fussy for the taste? Try adding a touch of cinnamon and all-natural honey to one. Yum! Or just toss one up in some guacamole and eat with veggies or tortilla chips (the latter only if you aren’t on a low-carb diet!)
9 Nuts
If you love almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, you’re in luck. These great nuts are not only really good anti-aging foods but also contain good fats and protein. Walnuts are especially a good source of Vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acids.
You can snack on a handful or toss them in a salad or on top of yogurt. Whichever way you prefer, try to include nuts in your diet.
10 Eggs
Eggs still get a bad rap even though these innocent little guys are packed full of nutrients and vitamins. While the egg whites are full of quality protein and most of the B vitamins, the yolks are also packed full of vitamins as well.
According to Dr. Berg, eggs contain phosphatidylcholine, which slows down the breakdown of membranes, among other things. You can learn more about that here.
Make sure to get pasture-raised organic eggs for the best quality.
11 Pomegranates
These tasty little ruby jewels are not only full of flavor (and juice) but also high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, both of which help reduce inflammation and protect the body from free radicals.
Pomegranates can also help improve elasticity in the skin and hydrate it to give it a more youthful glow. You can toss these little jewels in a salad, on yogurt, or in a bowl of cereal.
12 Red Bell Peppers
While green, yellow, and orange peppers are also good, the red bell pepper is the best addition to the anti-aging foods list. This tart yet flavorful beauty is packed full of antioxidants and extremely high in Vitamin C.
The bell pepper family contains carotenoids which not only give them their bright colors but also help protect you from sun damage. You can eat them raw or cooked, but the latter is def better for you.
13 Spinach
Popeye, the Sailor Man, had it right all along when it came to eating this superfood, spinach. Not only is it good for muscles, but it’s also a fantastic leafy green full of Vitamins C and A, both much-needed vitamins for hydration and cell regeneration.
Spinach can be eaten raw in a salad with nuts and strawberries (yum) or cooked with whatever little addition you like to toss it with.
14 Watermelon
The name says it all! Watermelon is 92% water, and we all know how important and valuable it is to drink water daily. Why not eat it, too? Watermelon is packed full of Vitamins A, C, and E, all the skin-boosting vitamins we need to slow down aging.
Watermelon also contains lycopene, the same powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes. Enjoy watermelon on its own or mixed in a fruit or green salad.
15 Bone Broth
Easy to make, though, you can also purchase bone broth powder here (this is the one I used when I lived in Mexico); this delicious drink is the king of the collagen world. Bone broth is rich in collagen and also helps the body produce its own.
A cup a day is all you’ll need, and it’s so easy to make though it has to simmer for at least 12 hours. Here’s a good recipe to follow, and also more information on bone broth, and you’ll have your own amazing and tasty bone broth in no time.
16 Salmon (and other fatty fish)
The Omega 3’s you find in Salmon and other fatty fish help reduce sun damage and keep your skin looking younger and more youthful. Also, the omega-3 fat found in salmon, DHA, helps protect the brain, eyes, skin, and heart from aging.
Not a fan of salmon? Why not try anchovies, mackerel, sardines, or tuna, to name a few?
17 Kale
We can now add kale, this leafy green, to the list of best anti-aging foods to eat to prevent wrinkles, have glowing skin, and slow down aging. Kale contains two carotenoids that boost your skin’s elasticity and hydration, meaning it will firm and plump up your skin, reducing and minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
You can eat uncooked kale or make fun kale chips in the oven with a little olive oil, salt, and garlic. Kale chips, anyone? Yum!
18 Lemons
If you dislike drinking water as much as I do, squeeze this vitamin-rich little fruit in your water. Not only does it add a dash of flavor, but it’s also packed with Vitamin C, which we already know is essential for skin health.
Try drinking warm water in the morning or afternoon with a splash of lemon. Warm water helps aid in digestion and is good for toxic removal.
19 Carrots
Like red bell peppers, carrots are abundant in alpha and beta-carotene, which help repair cell damage. Like the other vegetables, carrots are high in vitamins A and C, which help produce collagen.
But what about our eyes? Carrots help with eyesight, and it’s true. Beta-carotene is responsible for maintaining eye health. Try adding more of these anti-aging foods to your plate. Pass the carrots, please!
20 Turmeric
This colorful and flavorful spice does more than add flavor to foods; it’s also a powerful antioxidant spice. While turmeric isn’t quite a food, it still belongs on this list of anti-aging foods simply because of its potency.
Turmeric helps with anti-inflammatories and is also used to treat skin conditions. You can use this spice cooked in foods or in a face mask for super potent anti-aging properties and benefits. Check out this article here, where I share an awesome all-natural anti-aging face mask.
What Foods Keep Wrinkles Away?
This question gets asked a lot, and unfortunately, there is no right answer. Foods won’t keep wrinkles away; your lifestyle choices and daily habits will.
Stop drinking, give up smoking, use sunscreen: do all those things to maintain a youthful glow and keep wrinkles away.
What Diet is Best For Anti-Aging?
I’m no diet or food expert, but with everything I’ve read and tried, I can safely say that a clean, whole-food diet is probably the best.
This means eating clean, no processed foods, staying away from sugar, and maybe adding in some fasting to give your body time to repair itself.
Fill Your Body With Anti-Aging Foods For Life
It’s never too late to care of your body, first of all. I had to get that out of the way. You aren’t too old to start taking better care of yourself. And if you’re going to make an effort to take care of yourself, you may as well start by eating right and consuming a good variety of the best anti-aging foods there are.
Final Thoughts on Anti-Aging Foods
I always tell people to check with their doctor first and then see what works best for them. You may love papaya, but maybe your body or skin doesn’t. You have to test some things.
Keep in mind that what works well for one person may not work at all for another. We are all very different, and we all require different vitamins, minerals, care, etc. Listen to your body. It will tell you what’s right and wrong, good and bad.
