8 bad habits that you need to break unless you want to age faster: experts

We can’t slow down time — but we can slow down its effects on us, according to experts.The key is to make healthier choices in the areas that we can control — and that starts with breaking bad habits.“One of the primary hallmarks of aging is accumulated cellular damage that leads to organ dysfunction and, ultimately, death,” Dr.Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert with Senolytix, told Fox News Digital.“The key to staying healthy is minimizing cellular damage by not throwing accelerants into the fire, which is unfortunately what most Americans do.” Doctors shared with Fox News Digital the eight most common unhealthy behaviors that speed up the aging process — and tips on how to avoid them.Smoking has been proven to shorten life expectancy. Researchers from Action on Smoking and Health in the U.K.

have reported that a 30-year-old smoker can expect to live for about 35 more years — compared to 53 years for a non-smoker. “Smoking speeds up aging by exposing you to harmful chemicals, reducing oxygen supply, breaking down collagen and increasing oxidative stress,” Dr.Dawn Ericsson, an obstetrician/gynecologist and medical director at AgeRejuvenation in Tampa, Florida, told Fox News Digital.“The harmful effects of tobacco extend beyond lung health, accelerating skin aging and increasing the risk of gum disease and tooth loss.”Smoking introduces toxins that impair skin elasticity and collagen production, which leads to wrinkles, Osborn added.“Free radicals in smoke damage lung tissue — inducing cancer — and the walls of your blood vessels,” he told Fox News Digital.“The incidence of heart attack, stroke and brain aneurysms is significantly higher in smokers relative to nonsmokers.”The quickest fix is to quit smoking immediately, the experts agreed.To increase the chance of success in quitting, Ericsson suggested setting a “quit date,” avoiding triggers and seeking support from friends, family and hea...