Micronutrients & recovery
A higher Oxidative Balance Score (OBS), reflecting a predominance of antioxidant exposures over prooxidants in diet and lifestyle, is positively associated with longer leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in adult females.
For women, maintaining a diet and lifestyle that favors antioxidants over prooxidants is associated with longer telomeres, a marker of cellular aging. This involves consuming foods rich in antioxidants (like fruits, vegetables, whole grains) while minimizing prooxidant stressors like smoking, excessive alcohol, and high processed meat intake. While this study is observational, it suggests that holistic dietary patterns matter more than isolated supplements for preserving cellular longevity.
The association between the OBS and log-transformed LTL was positive in females but not males... This result suggested that diet and lifestyle might affect LTL by regulating oxidative balance.
Why this rating
Large sample size (n=3220) and national representativeness (NHANES), but cross-sectional design prevents causal inference.
Source
Association between the Oxidative Balance Score and Telomere Length from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999‐2002
Wan Zhang et al. · Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity · 2022
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