"I Want to Age Slowly" Young People These Days Quit Malatang-Hulu and Follow 'This Diet' [Youth Report]

'Slow Aging Diet' That Can Slow Down the Aging Process
Whole Grains and Vegetable-Centered Diet Are Key
Also Linked to Increased Life Expectancy

Recently, the 'Slow Aging Diet' has become popular among young people. This refers to a meal plan that can slow down the aging process. The key is to create a healthy diet centered on whole grains and vegetables rather than simple sugars and refined grains. While spicy foods like hot and numbing Malatang or sweet Tanghulu were once popular among the younger generation, recently, somewhat bland diets have been gaining attention. This phenomenon appears to have emerged as interest in healthy and natural aging, such as 'Well aging' and 'Slow aging,' has increased.

Want to Age Healthily... 'Slow Aging Diet' Gains Popularity

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

The 'Slow Aging Diet,' which aims for healthy aging, became a hot topic after Professor Jeong Heewon of the Department of Geriatrics at Seoul Asan Medical Center continuously posted related content on her X (formerly Twitter). Last year, she posted on X, "In the new year, let's try a diet that slows brain aging to a quarter of the usual speed." Since then, she has appeared on many programs, including tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block,' to promote the Slow Aging Diet.

Through her YouTube channel, she explained, "It may vary from person to person, but I believe a proper breakfast should not cause a blood sugar spike (a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar). If you create a blood sugar spike in the morning, it changes your appetite at lunch and worsens your condition until dinner." She added, "Breakfast should contain minimal simple sugars and refined grains," and said, "Cereal, bread, and jam, which many people choose for breakfast, cause blood sugar spikes and harm the body."

[Image source=YouTube channel 'Jeong Hui-won's Jeosoknohwa']

The Slow Aging Diet focuses on reducing the intake of foods that accelerate aging, such as excessive simple sugars, refined grains, and carbohydrates, while including plenty of mixed grains like lentils, brown rice, and oats, along with green and yellow vegetables and white fish. Professor Jeong claims that a healthy diet can extend lifespan by up to 10 years.

In fact, the Slow Aging Diet is very popular on social networking services (SNS). People share their own Slow Aging Diet meals or document their challenges with the diet. Especially on X, the Slow Aging Diet sharing community managed by Professor Jeong continues to grow in popularity. The community has 27,000 members who share their Slow Aging Diets with each other.

'Malatanghulu' Popularity Drops... Young People’s Interest in Health Rises

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

Until early this year, spicy foods like Malatang and Tanghulu were trendy. This even led to the creation of the new term 'Malatanghulu.' However, as the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes increased, interest in slow aging seems to have grown, especially among young people.

In fact, the prevalence of diabetes among people in their 20s and 30s has risen sharply. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in November last year, the number of diabetes patients in their 20s and 30s increased steadily from 139,682 in 2018 to 174,485 in 2022, nearly a 25% rise. Most were analyzed to be caused by improper eating habits and lack of exercise.

Office worker Kim (29) also began to take an interest in the Slow Aging Diet after his recent health checkup showed high cholesterol levels. Kim said, "I wasn’t very conscious about my health before, but after the health checkup, my mindset changed," adding, "I thought I should manage my health from a young age, so I changed my eating habits." He continued, "I try to eat as many vegetables as possible," and added, "You have to manage your health while you are still healthy."

This trend also seems related to increased life expectancy. As of 2022, South Korea’s life expectancy was 82.7 years, 10.1 years higher than the global average of 72.6 years. It is expected to rise to 91.1 years by 2072. In other words, as lifespan lengthens, interest in anti-aging has increased accordingly.

Last month, Professor Jeong appeared on the YouTube channel 'Maebul Show' and emphasized, "The most important lifestyle habit is diet, and equally important are exercise, sleep, stress management, and avoiding alcohol and smoking." She stressed, "Cook with olive oil and stay away from fried foods and fast food."