The Secret to Healthy Aging and Aging Perspectives in Africa

As Africans, many challenges stand in our way as we strive for healthy aging, but one thing within our control is food.

CREDIT: CHATGPT

We aspire to live, live, and live forever. Across the developed world, we have seen rapid investment in anti-aging research. It has become a billion-dollar business in the developed world because no one wants to die. Me inclusive!

Even in death, we still have people hoping for resurrection. I listened to a New Scientist podcast in February, from which I learnt that there are at least 250 bodies in the US in deep freeze—human bodies waiting for possible resurrection. In addition, there are thousands of other people on the list, ready to be cryopreserved when they die. Why? Waiting for possible resurrection.

In Africa, while we may not be able to avoid death, we may have a say in how we age through what we eat.

This week’s edition is inspired by a paper published in Nature Medicine Journal on food for healthy aging. This is important because in Africa, we can at least try to eat food that enables us to live a healthier life and age like fine wine, as the adage says.

This was a solid study. It followed more than 105,000 people between 1986 and 2016. What is fascinating is that, in our lifetime, it will be hard to follow a strict diet. Imagine following a diet for three, four, or even five decades.

“The researchers found that only 9.3% of the participants achieved healthy aging,” a story in Nature reads.

 Healthy aging was defined by the lack of eleven major chronic diseases and no impairment in cognitive, physical, or mental function by the age of 70.

Foods for healthy aging include eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy products, the study found. Diets with more trans fats, sodium, sugary beverages, and red or processed meats were linked to unhealthy aging.

Aging in Africa: a broader perspective

To stretch a little bit beyond this paper—Africa, traditionally known as the world's youngest continent, is rapidly aging. The population of Africans aged 55 and over is expected to hit 212 million by 2050.

This demographic shift is fuelling a surge in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly diabetes, which is now a significant and growing public health concern across the continent. Low-income and middle-income countries, including those in Africa, house 75% of people with diabetes and suffer 85% of premature NCD-related deaths.

As the continent urbanises and experiences a change in lifestyles, access to unhealthy foods is worsening the situation. This is a problem because countries in sub-Saharan Africa face weak healthcare systems that cannot curb the flow of unhealthy foods onto the markets.

HIV and Aging

One area that has attracted research interest is HIV and aging. Studies show that more and more older adults in sub-Saharan Africa are living with HIV, thanks to better access to treatment.

However, this growing group is now facing new health challenges that go beyond the virus itself. Studies have found that some older people living with HIV experience depression, memory and thinking problems, or physical weakness—but the numbers vary a lot depending on the study. They are also more likely to develop other health issues like heart disease, mental health conditions, and joint or muscle problems.

VISUAL OF THE WEEK

As always, I quote Zeke Hausfather for global warming monthly updates. It isn’t good news for us. March 2025 was the second warmest March on record in the ERA5 dataset, only behind the record set last year (2024), Zeke wrote on X a few days ago. This is despite weak La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific. It was 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels, up slightly from February.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Without decisive action, Africa CDC projects the continent could reverse two decades of health progress, face 2 to 4 million additional preventable deaths annually, and a heightened risk of a pandemic emerging from within. Furthermore, 39 million more Africans could be pushed into poverty by 2030 due to intertwined health and economic shocks,” –Africa CDC on funding challenges for the health sector across the continent.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Iron supplements and healthier births in Africa: Babies born with low birth weight (under 2.5 kg) are common in sub-Saharan Africa and face higher health risks. One way to reduce this is through iron supplementation during pregnancy. A study involving over 149,000 mothers and babies across 26 African countries found that only about 37% of pregnant women took iron supplements, with lower usage among young and poor women. Mothers who didn’t take iron supplements were more likely to have babies with low birth weight. On the other hand, women who took iron for at least 90 days had a significantly lower chance of giving birth to underweight babies. The benefits of taking iron supplements were even greater for women from disadvantaged backgrounds—those who were poor, had no education, or were younger. [Reference, Food Science and Nutrition Journal] 

Climate and life in the middle stone age era: Researchers studied climate predictability and life in the Stone Age. They found that people in northwestern Africa lived in colder, drier, and less fertile areas than those in eastern Africa, but their environments were still more productive than nearby areas. The climate there was also more seasonal and predictable. These conditions may have influenced people in different regions to come up with unique ways to survive, like creating specific tools to manage food sources that moved around with the seasons. Meanwhile, the more stable and tropical environments in eastern Africa may have encouraged different kinds of tool-making and survival strategies. [Reference, Nature Scientific Reports] 

Africa’s indigenous insight for a warming world: Across Africa, many communities have long relied on indigenous and local knowledge—traditional wisdom passed down through generations—to adapt to their environments. This includes understanding weather through natural signs, using drought-resistant crops, managing forests, and practicing water-saving techniques. These time-tested approaches are deeply rooted in people’s spiritual and cultural traditions. But for it to really make a difference, it must be respected, preserved, and included in national climate plans—right alongside science. [Reference, Elsevier] 

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