Five Top Food Ingredients to Help You Maintain Healthy and Look Younger

Coenzyme Q10

Discovered in 1957, Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 has exceptionally powerful antioxidant properties particularly in energy production at the cellular level, skin cell revitalization and its ability to protect your body against UVA-induced depletion of cell membrane and damage done by free radicals. CoQ10 is a vitamin-like substance which is produced naturally in your body and its production peaks at the age of 20 but declines sharply thereafter. However, your body still requires CoQ10 even when you grow into old age, making CoQ10 supplementation essential for maintaining your health. After all, keeping levels of CoQ10 optimum is crucial when one grows old since it’s needed for energy production in sperm production, muscle activity, and both heart and liver function. The suggested dosage for CoQ10 is limited from 50-200mg per day but consulting with a doctor prior to adding CoQ10 supplements is recommended. 

Hyaluronic Acid

Found abundantly in your body particularly in the deeper layers of your skin when you were born, Hyaluronic Acid or HA is a “magical” key factor that keeps people in Yuzuri Hara, a long life village in Japan, younger and energetic. HA is added to their daily diets when they consume the carbohydrate foods that keep them away from diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Interestingly, their skin hardly displays any signs of ageing. Doctors believe that the starches from “satsumaimo” (starchy root vegetables), “imoji” (a potato root), “konyaku” (a gelatinous root vegetable concoction), satoimo” (a type of sweet potato) have helped to stimulate their body to create a natural substance called hyaluronic acid to help them hold moisture, maintain elastic and smooth skin by retaining up to 1,000 times its weight in water, protecting the retina in eyes, keeping joints lubricated in a process to ward off the ageing process. Therefore, it’s not surprising to see women in their 90s with spotless skin in this village.

HA also exists abundantly in heart calves, joint and eyes, and it plays a crucial role in repairing wounds, improving eye sight,  and holding moisture to keep your skin healthy and vibrant glow. Its production drops off when you reach the age of 18-20 years, and thereafter its formation declines sharply after the age of 40, when skin loses its youth and elasticity, and wrinkles starts appearing onto the surface of the skin. That’s the reason when one grows old, he/she no longer looks radiant and youthful due to the degradation of HA.