Sugar Smart: Let’s Get Started!

Earlier this year, Greg Macpherson, a New Zealand pharmacist, biotechnologist, and author of “Harnessing the Nine Hallmarks of Aging,” told the Deseret News that people with a healthier lifestyle are more likely to have younger cells and to age better and live longer.

One key factor is diet, according to Macpherson, who said that “we are ancient bodies in a modern world,” with the chronic stresses that entails. He adds that sleep, hygiene, mindfulness, and how we eat are all important to a long, healthy life.

“It’s never too late,” he said. “Genes change within a few hours.” Simple things like changing to a stand-up desk spark an immediate body response. No matter what one’s health status is, he added, “you can do something.” This week, a study by researchers from the University of Cambridge published in The Lancet journal Diabetes & Endocrinology identified an “urgent need to develop and implement interventions that prevent or delay the onset of diabetes, especially as the prevalence of diabetes among younger adults is rising globally,” as MedicalXpress reported.

The researchers found a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis at age 30 could reduce life expectancy by as many as 14 years. Type 2 diabetes is often linked to obesity, a poor diet and lack of exercise, meaning addressing those issues could help prevent the chronic disease from gaining a foothold. (Deseret News, How food choices, habits and national policies may shorten your life, L. Collins, Oct. 3, 2023)