There’s a grandfather in my neighborhood who walks the streets. Our paths often cross. While I’m strolling with my dog, he is walking his granddaughter. Three years ago, when I first saw them, the grandfather was pushing a stroller with a baby in it. Today, his toddler of a granddaughter walks under her own power, but they have switched places. It’s the grandfather who needs the help now; he walks with a cane.

Age catches up with all of us

Father Time, as they say, is undefeated. Though we live in a world of many masculine pronouns, large and unfathomable forces often are referred to as feminine. Mother Earth, oceans, rivers, nature itself: these often get the feminine treatment. So why is Father Time a dude? I think of a long-bearded druid. Perhaps it’s because he’s such a linear character. As age creeps up on us, we might even consider him a villain.

Previously in my blog, I wrote about the search for immortality and its place in history. For thousands of years, people have sought the secrets to everlasting life. Today, we’re much more likely to find the keys to longevity in modern science than in a fountain of youth hidden somewhere. Yet it’s still elusive.

Can fisetin slow aging?

Well, I’m writing again today to report that science has found a substance that slows down the aging of cells in the human body. It’s a flavonoid called fisetin, which is a strong antioxidant. In the coming years, once more research has been done, the drug companies and nutritional supplement companies may make a fortune by distilling or synthesizing it. It’s already available as a supplement because fisetin and related antioxidants have been tested for other conditions (such as Alzheimer's) in the past.

But you can get a jump on the designed versions because I’m here to tell you that fisetin occurs naturally in some of the foods you eat. Eating fresh foods is much cheaper than buying vitamins or medicine. More on these dietary sources in a minute.

First, let’s cover how fisetin works. When human cells age, they enter a state called senescence. Once in senescence, the cell can no longer divide. Instead, it gives your body the impression that it is inflammatory. Your body then removes that cell, taking it out with the trash.

The problem is that older bodies do not clean up these old cells as well. This work becomes harder for the body to handle. Young bodies can readily remove what they do not need, but these older cells build up in older bodies. And thus, older people end up with a lot of damaged cells. These cause inflammation and tissue deterioration.

Scientists have discovered that fisetin can slow down this process. Therefore, it strikes at the cellular heart of the aging problem. So fisetin could prolong your health. Theoretically, that could translate to a longer lifespan, though much more research is needed.

This study is new and it doesn’t tell us much yet. For example, we do not know how much fisetin is the correct amount. But assuming that more is better (within moderation), we can look to the natural dietary sources of this substance.

And here are the chosen ones

These are the fruits and vegetables that can keep you from aging as quickly. Drumroll, please…

Strawberries are the most concentrated natural source of fisetin. They contain much more of it than does any other fruit or vegetable (seven times more than the next best ones!). Apples and persimmons are next in line, also with significant amounts. Mangoes also contain it, though I’m not sure they were tested for the study used in the image above, so I don’t know how much they contain. Once you get past these fruits, there are smaller amounts in lotus root, onions, grapes, kiwis, peaches and cucumbers (with skin on).

Unfortunately, strawberries often top another list, which is the most poisonous food crop. They are more loaded with pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, and/or other toxins than any other fruit or vegetable. Strawberries don’t keep well and if they are shipped, they are heavily treated to keep them looking fresh. So for strawberries, eating organic or locally produced berries is important. And as always, do not consume any food in excess; all things should be eaten in moderation.

The Youthful Fountain?

Assuming you have a local or organic source of fresh strawberries, then the fountain of youth might look something like this:

You can have the mojito. I’ll take the virgin strawberry margarita. Hold the tequila. Hold the vodka. Hold the fondue fountain also; that's death by chocolate. Just give me those berries straight. Better yet, hold the blender. Let me go home and eat a box of them by myself. I won’t need my berries pureed until I’m older.

Breaking News!

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This just in: The town of Troy, Ohio, U.S.A., holds an annual strawberry festival. The town fountain runs red for the occasion. So yes, I know it’s just red dye, but this may be the closest thing, symbolically speaking, to a true fountain of youth.

Wait, let me see that chemical structure for fisetin again. That's a lot of OH's. Oh, my goodness, I think that's the chemical map to southwestern Ohio, just above Dayton. If you followed all the OH's, Os and HOs, you'd get to the strawberry fest in Troy. This is so clear that you probably could stick it in a mailbox and the postal service would deliver it straight there.

Go paint the town red.

References:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323247.php (though they spell fisetin rather creatively)
https://www.ebiomedicine.com/article/S2352-3964(18)30373-6/fulltext
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3689181/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisetin
https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2017/03/researchers-report-on-more-new-senolytic-drug-candidates/

Images are public domain, including the produce graphic, which is from a U.S. government agency and not subject to copyright. Troy fountain pic from ohio.org.