The oldest woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal is Lida Peyton Pollock. She earned it as a member of an archery team in 1904 when she was 63 years and 333 days old. Clearly, her RealAge was much younger than her chronological age. That was apparent long before anyone knew DNA existed or before Dr. Mike and his team devised their RealAge test to help you determine your health and hardiness and set a path to sustained youthfulness.
Since then, more and more evidence of the important difference between chronological age and biological age has emerged. The latest comes from researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Their study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, shows that a woman's biologic age-determined by analyzing the degree of her DNA methylation, a chemical modification to DNA that's part of the normal aging process-can predict her risk for breast cancer. They found that for every five years a woman's biologic age was older than her chronologic age, her risk of developing breast cancer went up 15 percent!
You can roll back your RealAge by five to 15 years-really, it's doable for most people! Start today: Enjoy nine servings daily of fruits, veggies and 100 percent whole grains; ditch red and processed meats; get 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity five or more days a week; sleep seven to eight hours nightly; love your friends and family; and laugh a lot. Guys, this works for you, too!
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into "The Dr. Oz Show" or visit sharecare.com.
(c)2019 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.