A plant-based diet is one of David Sinclair’s tips for living longer. Getty Images
Key takeaways
- David Sinclair is a 53-year-old Harvard biologist who claims to be ten years younger than his biological age.
- Biological age is the rate of physical aging, which may differ from your chronological age.
- Sinclair believes that a plant-based diet, intermittent fasting, stress reduction and exercise will help him live longer.
What’s the secret to looking and feeling younger? For some, they are expensive surgeries. For others, it is a change in health and well-being habits. But what does science say?
David Sinclair, a 53-year-old genetics professor and anti-aging researcher who claims to be 10 years younger than his biological age, swears by four key ways:
- A plant-based diet and cutting out alcohol
- Intermittent fasting
- Reducing stress
- Regular exercise
While these habits can certainly contribute to a healthy lifestyle in general, experts disagree on their link to longevity. For example, studies are conflicting about whether intermittent fasting can slow the aging process. But Sinclair, who is also the co-founder of Tally Health, a membership-based longevity platform that includes the TallyAge test, an at-home test that determines your biological age, says her habits have dramatically changed her lifespan.
“My calculated biological age has decreased over the last decade or more to the point where I’m predicted to live at least ten years longer than I would have if I had done nothing,” Sinclair said in a recent interview. Insider. “So it’s never too late.”
In addition to following a plant-based diet and cutting back on alcohol, Sinclair said she drinks one to two matcha teas a day and takes supplements that contain resveratrol, the anti-inflammatory compound most commonly found in red wine. But the jury is out on whether people can get the same benefits in pill form.
“As soon as I see resveratrol in anyone’s supplement stack, they lose all credibility,” said University of Washington longevity researcher Matt Kaeberlein. Insider. “It’s been proven over and over again in the field of longevity, at least.”
However, Sinclair argues that these habits aren’t just about living longer, but making the most of your healthy years.
“Nobody wants to be sick for a decade or get cancer that lasts a long time or be frail,” she said Insider. “We’re really talking about preventing these things or squeezing them into the last part of life.”