5 scientifically backed ways to extend your health
By Elizabeth Xiradakis | Published: 2025-06-28 09:44:00 | Source: Health – Big Think
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Aging is a privilege – a privilege that is not guaranteed to everyone. Aging and good health often seem like two mutually exclusive ideals. In Greek mythology, Tithonus was granted immortality by Zeus, but not eternal youth. As he grows older, Tithonus gradually mourns his weakened body and eventually yearns for his own death. What Tithonus shows us, apart from being careful what we wish for, is the disparity between age and duration of health. This does not just mean the number of years we live, but the number of years we live in good health. The key is to improve both, and the power is in our hands more than we realize.
Mainstream medical advice, quite correctly, draws our focus to diet, exercise, and sleep as the cornerstones of optimal health. However, as interest in the field of longevity grows, we are learning more about other ways to enhance our healthy behaviors, some of which are surprisingly easy to incorporate into everyday life.
Ultra-processed foods
Good health often lies in what we eat daily. We all know that fruits and vegetables—especially those free of pesticides—are nutritionally beneficial, and that a typical healthy human being is likely to follow a Mediterranean diet or a predominantly plant-based diet.
What we consume besides these “well-known health foods” may be even more concerning. Over time, the ingredients in many supermarket foods have changed, with ultra-processed foods (UPFs) making up an increasing share of our diets. Definitions and classifications of UPFs vary, but they can generally be defined as products that you cannot make from ingredients found in your kitchen. (Now is a good time to familiarize yourself with the back of food packages.)
Often times, UPFs are disguised as health products — “high-protein” or “low-fat” items sold under the guise of helping you on your journey to supreme health. Restricting calories with these products may certainly help you lose weight. But the key question is: “What’s the trade-off here?”
Whole foods prevail. Artificial additives, artificial flavors, and indecipherable number configurations that act as filler ingredients are very likely to contribute to poor health outcomes. UV protection factor Its consumption is linked to many types of cancerin addition to the known cardiovascular risks from consuming UPFs that are full of hidden sugars and fats.
Even over time, not all products are the same. Forty years ago, tomato ketchup would likely contain tomatoes, sugar, spices, and maybe some malt vinegar. Now, you’ll likely find that some of these ingredients have been replaced with “E” numbers and lab-made flavorings. So, when Grandma Pam tells you to “eat spam” because “it’s what she ate in her day and lived to tell the tale,” you might want to talk to her about UPFs in 2025.
Xenoestrogens
It’s not just the ingredients in our food that we need to scrutinize. In many personal care products, you’ll find chemicals called xenoestrogens, such as parabens and phthalates. Few of us are immune to the age-old marketing trick of featuring seductive models with luscious lips or smooth, hairless armpits to whip up their latest product. In contrast, choosing popular high-end brands that carry high prices does not guarantee healthy ingredients.
This may not be the companies’ fault. Ironically, it’s the chemicals that make up your hair feel Shinier, smoother or even cleaner may harm your health. Xenoestrogens are a concern even at low doses, and are found in many everyday products, including shampoo, deodorant, and makeup.
We know that excess estrogen stimulation plays a role in breast cancer. A Study 2023 Replacing these products with paraben- and phthalate-free has been shown to reverse pro-cancer gene expression within 28 days, but it remains to be seen whether this will translate into long-term health benefits.
Choosing products that do not contain xenoestrogens may reduce exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals — a small step that can support long-term health.
Cold water
An area of great interest is “cold water exposure”. Proponents enjoy the adrenaline rush, claiming improved mental clarity and emotional well-being after a cold plunge. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that exposing yourself to cold water improves your condition Healthy metabolism, amplifies antioxidant defenses, and reduces chronic inflammation.
Now, more than ever, the medical field recognizes the pivotal role of chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease. A A recent study showed Short-term cold acclimation enhanced autophagy responses in young males. Autophagy is the body’s internal recycling process, removing waste and facilitating cell repair, mechanisms that are thought to help reduce the risk of age-related diseases.
Some patients with chronic pain report that they feel therapeutic benefits, especially when traditional neuropathy medications are insufficient, although strong clinical evidence is still limited. Anecdotally, some of my patients going through menopause have reported that exposure to cold water improves their anxiety and overall well-being.
Being exposed to cold water can also be quite exhilarating. There are now local cold water swimming clubs, providing the added benefit of socialising.
Like many medical practices, cold water exposure is not a “one-size-fits-all” recommendation. It would be wise to seek medical advice before taking up this ice hobby, as many conditions preclude its safety.
Social connection
Humans crave connection. We are committed to that. Historically, working in groups has increased our likelihood of survival. The saying “It takes a village” is used primarily in relation to raising children, but it also applies to our well-being and health.
Social connection and support have been shown to improve health outcomes across the board – from Reduce cardiovascular mortality to improve blood glucose control and even cancer survival rates. Unsurprisingly, social integration is associated with better overall mental health.
The opposite is also true. This means that social isolation is associated with negative health outcomes, namely poor mental health and increased mortality. This is something we must especially keep in mind with the inevitable passage of time.
Aging makes us more susceptible to disease. But with retirement, loss of contacts, and the death of loved ones, our social circle diminishes. Instead of simply resigning to this fate, I often encourage my patients to view retirement as an opportunity to search for new projects and new meaning (or what the Japanese call “ikigai”). Whether it’s volunteering, joining a walking group, rediscovering a long-lost hobby, or trying something new, these activities often cover several pillars of health, whether it’s exercise, cognitive stimulation, or socializing.
Stimulate your mind
The good news is that cognitive stimulation can be completely unintended, but still beneficial to your health — an unintended byproduct of your entertainment choices.
Reading has to do with Reducing symptoms of depression and chronic pain, as well as combating cognitive impairment. Your job can also be important. Adjusting for confounding factors A recent study found Higher cognitive stimulation at work led to lower levels of proteins known to be linked to an increased risk of dementia. What you do for a living may make you live longer.
Engage in word or number games daily It has been linked to increased energy and decreased depression, and some studies suggest that regular cognitive challenges may be linked to a lower risk of death overall. Even if you can only force yourself to play Sudoku on a single occasion, it is still prospectively associated with reduced cognitive impairment.
Social brain gamesLike cards and chess, it relieves loneliness and depression, which is unexpected. But they also support mobility, may help reduce pain, and are associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline — factors associated with Alzheimer’s disease prevention.
Sustainable change
I often tell my patients that any lifestyle change should be acceptable, achievable, and sustainable for them. Patient autonomy is crucial, and there is power in evaluating what is worth changing in your own life. Certainly, what we have discussed cannot usurp the strong evidence in favor of the well-established pillars of health, namely, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep. But perhaps the key idea here is that there are additional thoughtful choices we can make that have a positive impact on our health. By incorporating small, thoughtful changes, we can work toward not just a longer life—but a healthier, more fulfilling one.
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