Nutrition and Healthy Lifespan: New Concepts in Diet and Aging

Course overview

The CDC estimates that by the year 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 years or older. While our lifespan is increasing, the extent to which we, as individuals and society, can benefit from these extra years depends heavily on one key factor - health. Unfortunately, for many, the extension of our lifespan has not been accompanied by a similar extension of our health span. Instead, it is associated with physical and mental deterioration, an increased incidence of age-related diseases, and rising healthcare costs. Importantly, studies show that for most people, approximately 25 percent of an individual's lifespan is genetically determined, and the rest, the majority, is based on lifestyle. Thus, the aging process is plastic. It can be accelerated by poor diet, lack of physical activity, and exposure to hazardous environmental factors such as cigarette smoke and pollution, and it can be slowed through healthier lifestyles, including a quality diet. Clearly, what a person eats is a vital factor that will determine whether they live to 60, 80, or 100 - and, more importantly, whether they will get there in good health. The focus of this course is to outline how we can optimize diet and nutrition to exploit our bodies' innate ability to protect and regenerate itself at the cellular and organ levels. This course will examine the role of foods, food-derived substances, and dietary patterns in counteracting the molecular changes associated with the hallmarks of aging. It will address the role of dietary supplements and other anti-aging elixirs that are widely promoted. It will address optimal protein intake - amount, type, distribution - to maintain muscle health, reduce frailty, and preserve functional independence for our aging population. The potential for better nutritional habits to improve health outcomes in older populations is a largely untapped yet urgently needed measure.