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Why can one person in their sixties still run marathons while someone in their fifties struggles to climb the stairs? Genetics may play a role, but researchers studying longevity are increasingly looking beyond the number of candles on a birthday cake.
Instead, attention is shifting towards functional or biological age, which looks at how the body and mind perform regardless of a person's actual age.
Instead, attention is shifting towards functional or biological age, which looks at how the body and mind perform regardless of a person's actual age.
In conjunction with Healthy Ageing Month, Dr Vipada Sae-Lao, Nutrition Education and Training Lead, Asia Pacific, Herbalife, shares how everyday choices can influence biological age and help people stay healthier for longer.
“Biological or functional age reflects the body on the inside, or the way organs, tissues, and processes work, linked to metabolism, inflammation, and cellular repair. Evidence increasingly shows that our biological age can be significantly far from our actual age, in either direction, shaped by the choices we make in the years before,” said Dr Sae-Lao.
“Biological or functional age reflects the body on the inside, or the way organs, tissues, and processes work, linked to metabolism, inflammation, and cellular repair. Evidence increasingly shows that our biological age can be significantly far from our actual age, in either direction, shaped by the choices we make in the years before,” said Dr Sae-Lao.
“If ‘living young’ matters to you as much as ‘living long’, these are what research says about what we can do today to improve our biological age,” she added.
Eating Smart
What goes onto the plate can influence how the body ages. Chronic low-grade inflammation, for example, can damage DNA and cellular function, increase disease risk and hasten the ageing process.
Anti-inflammatory foods such as nuts and seeds, brightly coloured fruits and vegetables including berries, tomatoes, broccoli and leafy greens, as well as olive oil and fatty fish, can help support immune function. Foods commonly consumed as part of a Mediterranean diet also support brain health and immune function while reducing cellular damage.
Protein is equally important. It is essential to body structures including muscles, organs, skin and hair, as well as hormones and enzymes. The gradual and progressive loss of muscle mass and function, known as sarcopenia, starts in the early forties, making adequate dietary protein increasingly important.
When protein intake is insufficient, the body may instead break down tissues to provide the amino acids required for bodily functions.
As a general rule of thumb, meals should contain carbohydrates, protein, and fruits and vegetables in an ideal 1:1:2 ratio, or “Suku-Suku Separuh”, as recommended by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).[1]
Eating Smart
What goes onto the plate can influence how the body ages. Chronic low-grade inflammation, for example, can damage DNA and cellular function, increase disease risk and hasten the ageing process.
Anti-inflammatory foods such as nuts and seeds, brightly coloured fruits and vegetables including berries, tomatoes, broccoli and leafy greens, as well as olive oil and fatty fish, can help support immune function. Foods commonly consumed as part of a Mediterranean diet also support brain health and immune function while reducing cellular damage.
Protein is equally important. It is essential to body structures including muscles, organs, skin and hair, as well as hormones and enzymes. The gradual and progressive loss of muscle mass and function, known as sarcopenia, starts in the early forties, making adequate dietary protein increasingly important.
When protein intake is insufficient, the body may instead break down tissues to provide the amino acids required for bodily functions.
As a general rule of thumb, meals should contain carbohydrates, protein, and fruits and vegetables in an ideal 1:1:2 ratio, or “Suku-Suku Separuh”, as recommended by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).[1]
Recent studies have also highlighted the role of Vitamin D in slowing the ageing process by promoting healthy cell growth, calming inflammation and helping clear damaged cells from the body.
Vitamin D also boosts the absorption of calcium needed for bone health. One example is pairing Vitamin D-rich fish such as salmon or mackerel with calcium from leafy greens such as mustard greens or kale.
Gut health is another factor linked to biological age. Studies indicate that consuming more probiotic foods such as yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, fermented cottage cheese, kimchi and other fermented vegetables encourages microbial diversity in the gut and decreases inflammation.
Training the Body and Mind
Staying active does more than maintain physical fitness. Physical activity protects heart health, boosts cognitive performance, enhances mood and strengthens metabolism.
The recommendation is to aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity alongside at least two days of strength training to support overall health. Studies also show that higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels, particularly during middle age, can lower the risk of heart, kidney and other metabolic disorders.
Exercise does not necessarily have to mean spending hours at the gym. Movement can be incorporated into everyday routines. A casual badminton game with family and friends, for instance, offers a way to stay active. According to the MOH, activities such as gardening, washing the car, doing housework or simply taking a walk also count towards overall health.[2]
Keeping the mind active matters too. Memory exercises, problem-solving and reasoning training, learning something new and activities that improve processing speed can stimulate the brain, improve cognitive performance and help protect against age-related decline.
Social connections are another part of the picture. Building genuine relationships is important for a happier and more active life, while sustained loneliness can negatively affect both physical and mental health.
Why Rest Matters
Ageing can bring changes that affect sleep quality, making a regular sleep schedule and healthy sleeping habits important for giving the body time to repair and recover.
Recent research suggests that getting too much or too little sleep could also indicate underlying issues in the body that may accelerate ageing.
Sleep disorders including insomnia and sleep apnoea, as well as sleep disturbances linked to depression, gastrointestinal issues, menopause or pain, are important to address to protect sleep quality.
Keeping Unhealthy Habits in Check
Making healthier choices can support biological or functional age, but certain habits may work in the opposite direction.
A highly processed diet containing excess sugar or salt, unhealthy fats, artificial sweeteners and harmful preservatives can, over time, negatively affect health and increase the risk of autoimmune or cognitive disorders and other chronic diseases.
Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption can also accelerate ageing by affecting multiple organs, particularly the lungs, thyroid, heart and food pipe. Smoking increases inflammation in the body, weakening the immune system and accelerating the ageing process.
Malaysia's life expectancy continues to rise,[3] while the proportion of elderly people is expected to reach 15% of the country's total population by 2030.[4] With people living longer, caring for personal health and supporting those around us becomes increasingly important to ensuring those additional years are lived well.
Dr Sae-Lao highlighted, “Adopting healthy habits and smart lifestyle choices, can give your body the ability to navigate age related changes. Small choices made every single day, can help you live longer, but more importantly live better.”
Vitamin D also boosts the absorption of calcium needed for bone health. One example is pairing Vitamin D-rich fish such as salmon or mackerel with calcium from leafy greens such as mustard greens or kale.
Gut health is another factor linked to biological age. Studies indicate that consuming more probiotic foods such as yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, fermented cottage cheese, kimchi and other fermented vegetables encourages microbial diversity in the gut and decreases inflammation.
Training the Body and Mind
Staying active does more than maintain physical fitness. Physical activity protects heart health, boosts cognitive performance, enhances mood and strengthens metabolism.
The recommendation is to aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity alongside at least two days of strength training to support overall health. Studies also show that higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels, particularly during middle age, can lower the risk of heart, kidney and other metabolic disorders.
Exercise does not necessarily have to mean spending hours at the gym. Movement can be incorporated into everyday routines. A casual badminton game with family and friends, for instance, offers a way to stay active. According to the MOH, activities such as gardening, washing the car, doing housework or simply taking a walk also count towards overall health.[2]
Keeping the mind active matters too. Memory exercises, problem-solving and reasoning training, learning something new and activities that improve processing speed can stimulate the brain, improve cognitive performance and help protect against age-related decline.
Social connections are another part of the picture. Building genuine relationships is important for a happier and more active life, while sustained loneliness can negatively affect both physical and mental health.
Why Rest Matters
Ageing can bring changes that affect sleep quality, making a regular sleep schedule and healthy sleeping habits important for giving the body time to repair and recover.
Recent research suggests that getting too much or too little sleep could also indicate underlying issues in the body that may accelerate ageing.
Sleep disorders including insomnia and sleep apnoea, as well as sleep disturbances linked to depression, gastrointestinal issues, menopause or pain, are important to address to protect sleep quality.
Keeping Unhealthy Habits in Check
Making healthier choices can support biological or functional age, but certain habits may work in the opposite direction.
A highly processed diet containing excess sugar or salt, unhealthy fats, artificial sweeteners and harmful preservatives can, over time, negatively affect health and increase the risk of autoimmune or cognitive disorders and other chronic diseases.
Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption can also accelerate ageing by affecting multiple organs, particularly the lungs, thyroid, heart and food pipe. Smoking increases inflammation in the body, weakening the immune system and accelerating the ageing process.
Malaysia's life expectancy continues to rise,[3] while the proportion of elderly people is expected to reach 15% of the country's total population by 2030.[4] With people living longer, caring for personal health and supporting those around us becomes increasingly important to ensuring those additional years are lived well.
Dr Sae-Lao highlighted, “Adopting healthy habits and smart lifestyle choices, can give your body the ability to navigate age related changes. Small choices made every single day, can help you live longer, but more importantly live better.”
