Research into aging and longevity is indicating that lifespan can be increased and aging can be slowed by following a diet which is very low in calories, but contains enough micronutrients and extra antioxidants. This is referred to as "calorie restriction", "CR", "dietary restriction", or "DR".

It is worth remembering that individual people may differ somewhat in their needs and in their ability to assimilate various foods and supplements. Optimal dose probably varies with age, weight, gender, and genetic background. It is important to pay attention to your own body as you experiment with your diet and lifestyle.

Good Foods

• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts) contain fiber and glucoraphanin, believed to aid in preventing some types of cancer. Broccoli is also a good source of lysine, an essential amino acid.
• Tomatoes and tomato sauce (cooked or raw) contain fiber and carotenoids including lycopene and beta carotene. They are also high in vitamins C and B-complex. Cooking tomatoes with olive oil makes the lycopene much more available to your body.
• Blueberries, strawberries, purple grapes, and other fresh or frozen fruits contain antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, signaling molecules, fiber, and vitamins.
• Oranges and tangerines contain flavonoids which inhibit proliferation of cancer cell lines.
• Green tea, white tea, and black tea (Freshly prepared; not bottled or canned) are very high in antioxidant polyphenols which can cross the blood-brain barrier. These polyphenols also chelate excess iron, which provides further protection from oxidative stress. Tea is also a source of manganese.
• Carrots (cooked or raw) contain fiber and antioxidant carotenes.
• Raw nuts and pumpkin seeds contain protein, fiber, omega-3 oils, and antioxidants. Raw walnuts help to prevent endothelial inflammation, protecting arteries from the effects of saturated fats in the diet.
• Whole grains: brown rice, oatmeal and other whole grains contain fiber, protein, and complex carbohydrates.
• Allium vegetables: (garlic, onions, scallions) (raw or barely cooked) are reportedly beneficial to the cardiovascular system and may prevent some cancers.
• Spinach (cooked or raw) is high in antioxidants, folic acid, and Lutein. It may be the highest food source of lipoyllysine (13 micrograms/g dry weight), which is a natural variation of alpha-Lipoic-acid.
• Tofu and tempeh are high protein foods made from soybeans. Tofu is a good source of lysine, an essential amino acid. Soy activates cancer-fighting genes.
• Flax oil or freshly ground flax seed (raw, never heated; keep flax oil refrigerated) is very high in essential omega-3 fatty acids.
• Salmon or Salmon oil. Salmon oil is very high in long-chain, essential omega-3 fatty acids (EFA and DHA), because the salmon live in cold water. They are not top predator fish, so they do not have so much mercury in them. Vegetarians can avoid salmon and obtain the benefits of essential omega-3 fatty acids by eating plenty of flax oil and ground flax seed.
• Brewer's yeast (such as Red Star or Milwaukee Food Yeast) is a good source of B-vitamins and chromium.
• Turmeric (Indian spice) contains curcumin, which has antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities. It seems to be helpful for inflamed joints and tendons, such as arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Turmeric also appears to fight off colon cancer and Alzheimer's dementia.

Recipes

• I have written a few Easy Vegetarian Recipes which emphasize the foods listed above.
• FATFREE - The Low Fat Vegetarian Recipe Archive.

Foods and Drugs to Avoid

• MSG or Monosodium glutamate may be neurotoxic for some people, especially infants.
• Aspartame or NutraSweet may be neurotoxic for some people, especially infants.
• Hydrogenated vegetable oils are even worse for your heart and cardiovascular system than animal and diary fats because hydrogenation produces trans-fatty acids.
• Iron supplementation should generally be avoided unless prescribed for iron-deficiency anemia. Iron promotes oxidation and free-radical damage to cells and membranes. Iron may interfere with the absorption of other vitamins. Most people get plenty of iron in their food. If you take supplementary iron, do NOT mix it with your vitamins. Children are especially vulnerable to brain damage from excess iron.
• Acetaminophen, paracetamol, or Tylenol is a liver toxin. It is especially dangerous in high doses or when taken with alcohol.
• Empty calories: Avoid eating most white flour products, white rice, corn chips, soft drinks, sweet snacks, and sweet cerials. Those which lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber are called "empty calorie foods." They contribute to rapid aging, fat gain, glycation, and possibly the development of diabetes.
• Large predator fish, such as tuna, swordfish, king mackerel, shark, and tilefish, contain dangerously high levels of mercury because they concentrate the mercury from the smaller fish which they eat.
• The herb, comfrey, contains toxic chemicals which harm the liver and may be carcinogenic.
• Tobacco smoke generates free radicals in the blood and in the lungs, promoting the development of several diseases, including:
  • Cardiovascular diseases, hardened arteries, and heart attacks;
  • Lung cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer;
  • Blindness from macular degeneration.

Dietary Supplements

Supplement Storage: Freshness is best preserved by freezing. But on the other hand, opening a cold jar of powder or pills will cause immediate moisture condensation from the air, quickly ruining the contents. So any jar which has been frozen must be allowed at least an hour to come to room temperature before opening it. I keep about a two-week supply of everything at room temperature, so that I can refill my daily supply each morning. Everything else goes in the freezer.

It's a good idea to put a few silica gel packets into your vitamin bottles to help keep the contents dry. You can bake the packets in an oven for an hour at 210 F to redry then and reuse them. You can find sources by Googling silica desiccant, or you can reuse packets from the vitamins you buy.

Nutrition Information Sources

• PubMed provides access to the Medline database of Biomedical journal articles maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
• Tufts University Nutrition Navigator provides A Rating Guide to Nutrition Websites.
• The Mayo Clinic Food and Nutrition Center is top rated by the Tufts University Rating Guide.
• USDA - US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Information Center
• USDA - US Department of Agriculture USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18 contains information on the nutrient content of 7,146 different foods.
• US NIH - Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health http://ods.od.nih.gov/index.asp
• FDA - US Food and Drug Adminstration Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition.
• The Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University was co-founded in 1973 by Linus Pauling. The institute's mission includes "to determine the function and role of micronutrients, vitamins and phytochemicals in promoting optimum health and preventing and treating disease; to determine the role of oxidative and nitrative stress and antioxidants in human health and disease." They have an informative website at http://lpi.orst.edu
• The Vitamin Research Products site has a library of review articles on the benefits of various dietary supplements, although there may be a pro-supplement bias because VRP profits from the sale of supplements.
• Juvenon has information about acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha-Lipoic acid, which are contained in their "Juvenon Energy Formula". http://www.juvenon.com/
• Nutrition: A Reference Handbook, by David A. Bender and Arnold E. Bender (Oxford University Press) 1997, is a very useful reference book.
• I have compiled a detailed, 20-page report, "Nutrition, Diet, and Supplements for Peak Physical & Mental Performance." In it, detailed descriptions are provided for each ingredient, with references to a bibliography of 25 books and journal articles. It also lists the least expensive sources of quality ingredients, suggests how to mix them, and the best times of day to take them. Additional information is provided on proteins, amino acids, fats, carbohydrates, and hormones. To obtain a copy of the latest version, please send a check or money order for $4 per copy plus $4 per order to cover postage and handling to my address at the bottom of this page.
• Dietary Supplement Information Bureau is the industry trade group. The web site contains information. http://www.supplementinfo.org/
• Eat Smart, Jean Carper's column in USA Weekend magazine, contains readable and mostly good suggestions. Archives are at http://usaweekend.com/food/carper_archive/index.html. She also has her own Stop Aging Now website http://www.jeancarper.com/
• Vitamin Information and microphotographic images of vitamin crystals by Molecular Expressions and Florida State University. http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/vitamins/index.html
• Molecular structural models of vitamins from the Indiana University Molecular Structure Center http://www.recipnet.indiana.edu/common/Vitamins/quickguide.htm
• Amino Acids Information and microphotographic images of amino acid crystals by Molecular Expressions and Florida State University.
• The UCLA Human Biochemistry and Nutrition Lab Nutrition page links to various useful publications including Nutrition Bits and Nutrition Bytes.
• Yahoo! Nutrition links.
• Additional medical literature research links.

Books

• Bender, David A., Arnold E. Bender. Nutrition: A Reference Handbook. (Oxford University Press, 1997).
• Guyton, AC (M.D.). Textbook of Medical Physiology. (W.B. Saunders Co., 8th ed., 1991) Reliable textbook and reference used by many medical students.
• James A. Joseph, Ph.D., Daniel Nadeau, M.D., and Anne Underwood. The Color Code: A Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimum Health. (Hyperion Books, 2002).
• Lehninger, AL. Principles of Biochemistry. (Worth Publishers, Inc., 1982) A bit old, but generally reliable textbook and reference used by many medical students and researchers.
• Stryer L, Berg J, Tymoczko J. Biochemistry. Fifth Ed. (W.H. Freeman & Co.) Reliable textbook and reference used by many medical students and researchers. Well illustrated.
• Weinsier, RL and SL Morgan. Fundamentals of Clinical Nutrition. (Mosby, 1993).
• Roy L. Walford, M.D. Beyond the 120 Year Diet: How to Double Your Vital Years. (Four Walls Eight Windows, 2000).