This eating trick may slow down aging

Every day, an estimated 6,800 new peer-reviewed academic articles are published. That’s a whole lot of science to wade through—but don’t fret. We’ll do the legwork for you, each and every morning.

Slow Down AgingThe key to combat aging might be in your plate—as long as you stop loading it up.

Researchers from Brigham Young University discovered that feeding mice 35 percent fewer calories than usual caused their body’s ribosomes, or the protein makers of the cell, to slow down.

When the ribosomes slow down, the aging process does, too, they discovered.

Examine Your Need to Go Gluten-FreeYour gluten-free diet might not be as clean as you think. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago discovered that people who ate gluten-free had higher concentrations of toxins in their body, including arsenic in their urine and mercury in their blood, than those who didn’t follow the diet.

That’s important, since these metals have been linked to serious conditions like heart disease and cancer.

Fight FluFlu activity is spiking, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. During the last week, all 10 regions reported influenza-like activity at or above their region-specific levels—and New York City and 23 states experienced high flu activity. If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, it’s not too late to get one, HealthDay reports.

Stress LessThere may be one more benefit to tying the knot: Married people have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, compared to those who remained single, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University discovered. Too much cortisol can spike inflammation, setting the stage for a number of diseases. (Married men live longer, have better sex, and make more money, too, as we recently reported.)

Control Your Blood PressureAggressively lowering blood pressure can prevent more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, a study out of the University of Utah estimates. Previously, doctors worked to lower high blood pressure to less than 140 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). But cutting it even further, to 120 mm Hg or below, can greatly reduce the risks of heart attack and stroke.