Did you know you can eat your way to healthy aging? Living Longer and Loving It! recently consulted leading nutritionist Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg to develop a list of foods you can start eating now to put yourself on the road to healthy aging. Below, Dr. Blumberg answers questions you may be asking yourself about how to improve your chances for longevity and health.

Dr. Blumberg, your research focuses heavily on antioxidants. What's the connection between them and the aging process?

Dietary antioxidants, contained in many vegetables (see sidebar), help combat highly reactive molecules called free radicals, or oxidants, which damage cells and DNA. Free radicals are part of the cause of heart disease, cancer, cataracts, macular degeneration and other leading chronic diseases. Many studies indicate that people whose diets are high in antioxidants or contain antioxidant supplements have a reduced risk of disease.

The media paid a lot of attention recently to Tufts University studies that showed blueberries could be an effective anti-aging food. Is the truth as good as the reports indicate?

It's difficult to distinguish between interventions which affect the aging process and diseases associated with aging. The blueberry studies are provocative. They indicate a reduced rate of aging in brain biochemistry and function. However, it is important to note that the studies were conducted in rats. No human data is available yet.

Are any foods specifically bad for aging?

There are no "bad" foods, only bad diets. However, some foods such as bacon and candy have little redeeming nutritional value.

Will maintaining a proper diet alone slow the aging process and lead to healthier aging? Or does healthy eating have to be in conjunction with other lifestyle measures like an exercise program and not smoking?

The causes of aging lie in two areas: genetics and environment. At the moment, there is little we can do about the former. Environmental factors are comprised of diet, physical activity, and other "exposures" like smoking and pollution. Thus, diet is an important, controllable risk factor which influences health and longevity. But you can't eat healthfully and expect to live long if you smoke, drink heavily, avoid exercise, don't wear seatbelts, practice unsafe sex - the list goes on. In the end, eating is an important component, but not the only one, in longevity and health.

He Knows His Stuff!

Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D, is an antioxidant expert and serves as associate director at Tufts University's Human Nutrition Research Center. He also serves as an advisor to the Tufts Health and Nutrition Newsletter. Dr. Blumberg's research has appeared in many leading journals.