A strawberry a day keeps the ageing process away: podcast

Eating 500 grams of strawberries, equal to 2.5 cups, every day might be one way to stave off age-related diseases, according to an exciting field called cellular senescence.

The science studies 'senescent' cells that have have stopped dividing and linger like zombies. They can have a negative effect on other healthy cells and have been associated with many age-related conditions such as heart failure.

Professor Andrea Maier from the University of Melbourne, who has been working in the field for over 20 years, says the science is evolving rapidly and the results are very promising.

"We are interfering with the ageing process before any age-related diseases start knocking on the door," she says.

"There are already supplements on the market that can help reduce the number of senescent cells in the body. We're also looking at how nutrition, like strawberries, can play a role."

Aged Care Insite spoke with Andrea about how scientific discoveries in cellular senescence might hold the key to unlocking the secrets of living a very long and healthy life.

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