The Age Code: The New Science of Food and How It Can Save Us

** A New Scientist Best Book of 2026 **

'Clear and compelling' Chris van Tulleken

'Really interesting and insightful' Joe Wicks

'Fascinating' Tim Spector

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What if the food you eat could rewind your biological clock?

From the rising incidence of cancer in the under-50s to increased infertility rates, there are signs everywhere that growing numbers of us are ageing too quickly. Why? Many believe there’s one major culprit: our diet.

Ageing reflects a fragile balance in our cells between damage and repair. Sugar, excess calories and gut inflammation are all common sources of damage, but if we instead fuel our body with valuable micronutrients, we can lower our disease risk and age markedly slower. Until recently this process was impossible to measure, but with new breakthroughs we can even assess the age of individual organs, giving rise to a new science of food that might save us.

Join Dr David Cox as he meets the experts attempting to understand what’s accelerating our biological clocks and what we can do about it. Along the way you’ll learn everything from why we become more acidic as we age, to why omega-3s are one of the most powerful anti-ageing supplements, to the simple adjustments to your cooking that will help you age better.

The Age Code urgently pinpoints why our eating habits must change and what we can all do to live longer and healthier lives.