How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older

by Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

If you want to learn how to do something, ask the people who do it well. That's what Dr. Greger Michael did, pulling in evidence from regions where people live the longest and distilling it into an accessible and enjoyable read designed to help you defy your age.

Instant New York Times Bestseller

Uncover the evidence-based science to slowing the effects of aging, from the New York Times bestselling author of the How Not to Die series

When Dr. Michael Greger, founder of NutritionFacts.org, dove into the top peer-reviewed anti-aging medical research, he realized that diet could regulate every one of the most promising strategies for combating the effects of aging. We don’t need Big Pharma to keep us feeling young—we already have the tools. In How Not to Age, the internationally renowned physician and nutritionist breaks down the science of aging and chronic illness and explains how to help avoid the diseases most commonly encountered in our journeys through life.

Physicians have long treated aging as a malady, but getting older does not have to mean getting sicker. There are eleven pathways for aging in our bodies’ cells and we can disrupt each of them. Processes like autophagy, the upcycling of unusable junk, can be boosted with spermidine, a compound found in tempeh, mushrooms, and wheat germ. Senescent “zombie” cells that spew inflammation and are linked to many age-related diseases may be cleared in part with quercetin-rich foods like onions, apples, and kale. And we can combat effects of aging without breaking the bank. Why spend a small fortune on vitamin C and nicotinamide facial serums when you can make your own for up to 2,000 times cheaper?

Inspired by the dietary and lifestyle patterns of centenarians and residents of “blue zone” regions where people live the longest, Dr. Greger presents simple, accessible, and evidence-based methods to preserve the body functions that keep you feeling youthful, both physically and mentally. Brimming with expertise and actionable takeaways, How Not to Age lays out practical strategies for achieving ultimate longevity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250796332
Publisher:	Flatiron Books
Publication date:	12/05/2023
Pages:	640
Sales rank:	6,903
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

A founding member and fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM, is a physician, bestselling author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine. Three of his recent books—How Not to Die, The How Not to Die Cookbook, and How Not to Diet—all became instant New York Times bestsellers.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
I. Blocking Eleven Pathways of Aging
II. The Optimal Anti-Aging Regimen
III. Preserving Your Body and Mind
IV. Dr. Greger’s Anti-Aging Eight
Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

07/01/2022

Founder of NutritionFacts.org and author of the New York Times best-selling "How Not To Die" series, Greger argues that all the negatives of growing older can be countered by proper eating, e.g., quercetin-rich foods like onions, apples, and kale can wipe out the senescent (aka zombie) cells linked to infection and many age-related diseases. Lots of strategies here; with a 500,000-copy first printing.

Library Journal

2023-09-19
The latest in the author’s How Not To series.

Readers who agree that anti-aging books are largely “hype and lies” may perk up to learn that Greger not only proclaims that he is a scientist, but he writes like one. The author delivers a lengthy, encyclopedic account of life-extenders that explains how they work and examines research supporting them, and he is not shy about expressing skepticism. But skeptics often have a modest readership, while enthusiasts write bestsellers; Greger clearly understands this, so he leans over backward to express enthusiasm. The author begins with a discussion of proven elements that lead to longer, healthier lives, including long-lived parents, a plant-based diet, exercise, good medical care, and the money to afford quality food and medical care. After this brief introduction, Greger focuses on an extremely wide variety of nutrients, herbs, foods, spices, new and old drugs, genetic manipulation, specific diets, attitudes, and even geographical areas that published research suggests may prolong lives. Some of the world’s longest-living people include Okinawans and Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, California. The U.S. as a whole is 45th in the world in life expectancy. Relentlessly optimistic, Greger includes numerous life-extenders backed by a single study, which he admits is not the strongest evidence. A long middle section on how to preserve function as you age may be the most useful, despite its lack of life-extension hype. The author’s avalanche of information is genuinely educational, although an active, middle-class vegetarian probably already possesses more than 90% of what’s proven to maximize their lifespan. None of Greger’s revelations seems likely to lead to vast life extension, but this is a welcome addition to a genre that continues to grow in popularity.

A physician tells you everything you ever wanted to know about life extension with less nonsense than usual.

Kirkus Reviews