Does diabetes make you age faster?

Have you ever asked the question does diabetes make you age faster? Well not everyone with diabetes looks old, or is old, however scientific research indicates that is it a major factor in the acceleration of age.

Diabetes statistics

Alarming statistics on Diabetes have been shared. As high as one if four people have diabetes or prediabetes. There has also been a massive increase in diabetes in children of recent years.

In young children aged 10-19 there was 30% increase between 2001 and 2009. This is common theme amongst all nations.

Furthermore, studies revealed that one-third of all adults in Britain are pre-diabetic. This will lead to a tsunami of type 2 diabetics in coming years which will have serious consequence on the healthcare system and people’s life expectancy.
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Diabetes makes the brain ages faster

According to research the brain is affected and ages about five years faster than normal. As we age memory declines and it gets harder to retain information.

Brain atrophy is a common contributing factor for dementia and type 2 diabetics are much more susceptible to this as they age, according to Dr Mercola’s article.

Lead author Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health states:

“The lesson is that to have a healthy brain when you’re 70, you need to eat right and exercise when you’re 50.” Ref.

What’s the relationship to memory decline and diabetes?

Damage to small blood vessels is linked to memory decline and diabetes
According to co-author A. Richey Sharrett, MD, DrPH:

“There are many ways we can reduce the impact of cerebral blood vessel disease—by prevention or control of diabetes and hypertension, reduction in smoking, increase in exercise and improvements in diet.”

Get sufficient magnesium

The Importance of Magnesium for Glucose and Insulin Balance has been highlight by Dr Mercola. According to Dr Mercola magnesium deficiency is important to mention when talking about diabetes. Mercola says magnesium plays an important role in glucose and insulin homeostasis.(15) He goes on to share that studies,(16,17,18) from around the world universally agree that in order to optimize your metabolism and keep your risk for type 2 diabetes low, you need to consume adequate magnesium. Ref

Eat a diet low in AGEs

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are proteins or lipids that become glycated as a result of exposure to sugars. This has been noted as a factor in the aging process and is worse in people with diabetes. Ref.

The body gets rid of harmful AGE compounds naturally by itself. However, it doesn’t get rid of it off them especially as we age. As we age they accumulate. They continue to build up the older we get. Furthermore, they, accumulate in the skin which contributes to the aging effects of the skin and makes us look older.

According to Dietician today.com “Recent evidence has found that excessive consumption of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), harmful compounds that stem from cooking foods at high temperatures and accumulate in the body as people age. These are a major cause of inflammation. This can increase the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. “

“A Danish study published in the January issue of Diabetes Care showed that overweight women who ate foods cooked at high temperatures had much higher biological markers of insulin resistance compared with those who ate foods prepared by boiling or steaming. ”
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The body gets rid of harmful AGE compounds naturally by itself. However, it doesn’t get rid of it effectively as we age. As we age they accumulate. They continue to build up the older we get. Furthermore they accumulate in the skin which contributes the the aging effects of the skin and makes us look older

Eat less processed food and more healthy fats

Eating too much-processed foods, including foods that are high in carbohydrates and low in healthy fats contributes to the development of diabetes.

The important takeaway message is that many processed foods high in carbohydrates and low in healthy fats are trouble. Due to past dietary misconceptions, many manufacturers removed fat from food processing since it still needs to taste good, more sugar is added to make it more appealing to the palate. So we see a lot of sugar being added to process foods.

In conclusion

The best weapon you have against diabetes, and aging is to eat a healthy diet and exercise.

This becomes critical when you reach middle age, so if you are 40-50 this it’s time to consider lifestyle changes to help the future you of senior years.
The takeaway message is that when you are in your 50s you want to be watching what you eat because if you develop diabetes in your 50s you are at a significantly higher risk for the mental decline by the time you are 70.

Since I am 44, I am constantly thinking about the future me. I try to eat as many whole foods as possible and get daily exercise. I also supplement with Sisel’s H2 Stix, which has a good amount of magnesium. Whilst I also do everything I can to avoid AGE compounds my in diet, I enjoy the benefit of Sisel’s A.G.E. Supplement. It stands for Anti Glycation Extreme to provide that extra boost in the fight against glycation and aging.

Last Updated on April 2, 2019 by Katie Sisel Distributor