By Mary Kearl  (AOL Health)

Sunflower Seeds
What They Do: Stave off grays

Your genes determine how old you’ll be when you first start to go gray, but it often begins in your 20s, though some won’t see a gray hair until their 40s, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Taub-Dix explains that loss of hair color is due to a decline in melanin production and that may be the result of a copper deficiency. Eating foods that are high in copper, like sunflower seeds, could be beneficial.

What Else Helps? Crabs, oysters, cashews and almonds are also high in copper. Vitamin B6, found in whole grain cereals and many vegetables, may help by boosting melanin production.

Apples
What They Do: Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
Bowden recommends eating foods high in quercetin, a nutrient found in apples and onions that has been shown to help fight cancer. Quercetin is also an anti-inflammatory and has antioxidant properties.

What Else Helps? A diet high in fruits and veggies has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers. Research has found that cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale, are particularly helpful in protecting against cancer.

Salmon
What It Does: Keeps your heart healthy

Foods like salmon that are high in omega-3 fatty acids may help lower your risk of heart attack and have been shown to lower blood pressure, plaque build-up in the arteries, triglyceride levels and cholesterol. Aim to eat about three fish-based meals a week, recommends Taub-Dix.

Added Bonus: Omega-3 fatty acids, also found walnuts, flaxseed, soybeans, avocados and olive oil, “help to reduce inflammation and are associated with promoting brain function,” says Taub-Dix.

Olive Oil
What It Does: Prevents wrinkles

Want to stay wrinkle-free, or at least prevent further skin aging? A “Journal of American College of Nutrition” study found diets high in olive oil, as well as other staples of a Mediterranean diet (think fruits, vegetables, nuts, multigrain bread and legumes), to be associated with less skin aging.

What Else Helps? A study from the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” found that higher intakes of vitamin C and omega-6 fatty acids, which cooking oils, egg yolks and beef are good sources of, may help to keep skin looking young. Bowden notes that resveratrol, found in red wine and the skin of grapes, has wrinkle-reducing properties as well.

Tofu
What It Does: Thickens thinning hair

Over 30 percent of men under the age of 35 and one quarter of women will experience thinning hair in the United States, says Taub-Dix, noting that heredity, illness, poor diet and medications are the most common causes. However, biotin, which is generally found in soy products, as well as liver and eggs, can promote hair re-growth.

What Else Helps? A complete multivitamin, which will give you a dose of several nutrients that protect against thinning, including vitamins A, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, E, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Blueberries
What They Do: Fight memory loss

Even as early as your 20s, you can begin to see changes in your memory, Taub-Dix says, so there’s no time like the present to begin safeguarding it. Your best dietary bets? “Blueberries are terrific for your memory. Particularly the anthocianin compounds that gives blueberries their deep hue.”

Added Bonus: Anthocianins may also protect against some aging-related diseases and cancers.

Hot Peppers
What They Do: Rev up your metabolism

It’s a fact of life that as you age your metabolism gets sluggish, but adding some spice to your diet will help to keep your body burning, says Taub-Dix. Spicy foods like cayenne and jalapeño peppers contain capsaicin, which can speed up calorie burn by raising your heart rate.

What Else Helps? Caffeine, found in coffee and green tea, can affect your metabolism by increasing heart rate as well. To avoid disturbed sleep, jitteriness or an upset stomach, monitor your caffeine intake and its affect on your body — even one cup of coffee a day could be too much for someone who is caffeine-sensitive.

Lean Protein
What It Does: Maintains muscle

A known side effect of aging, muscle loss, can be reduced by eating enough protein. “Protein consists of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle; therefore, an adequate daily intake helps maintain, repair and build muscle,” says Taub-Dix. “Without enough protein, you can’t build muscle — no matter how much exercise you do.”  Eggs, chicken, fish and lean cuts of beef, such as flank steak, are good sources.

Added Bonus: “Protein is also a key component in maintaining a healthy immune system, and in the creation of hormones, skin, hair, nails, blood and enzymes,” says Taub-Dix.

Water
What It Does: Hydrates Your Skin

With age, our skin produces less oil and loses its elasticity. To fight off the effects of dehydration, “It’s very important to drink plenty of water and try to limit caffeine and alcoholic beverages, which can enhance dehydration,” Taub-Dix says. How much fluid a person needs depends on a variety of factors, such as physical activity and climate, but eight glasses a day is a good amount to aim for.

What Else Helps? When applied topically to your skin, honey can be a natural dry skin remedy. Coconut oil and cocoa butter oil are good for moisturizing skin as well. Look for moisturizers with these ingredients, advises Taub-Dix.

Carrots
What They Do: Protect Your Eyes

The most common cause of vision loss in people over 50 is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But eating carrots, which are filled with beta carotene, can help stave off AMD, says Taub-Dix. So start munching: The earlier you begin eating beta-carotene rich foods the better.

What Else Helps? Foods that are high in vitamin C and E and zinc, such as spinach and beef, have eye-protecting properties as well, according to Bowden.

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