What you eat can dramatically influence how fast your body ages, according to mountains of research. Here are four important rules for aging slowly and fighting chronic disease.

1. Get plenty of antioxidants. A leading cause of aging, experts say, is "oxidative stress," which results when cells become dysfunctional over a lifetime or die because of attacks from internal and external chemicals known as "free radicals." Consuming lots of antioxidant-packed foods, mainly fruits and vegetables, boosts your cells' power to resist attack.

2. Infuse your body with omega-3s. Chronic inflammation speeds up aging, promoting heart attacks, arthritis, skin diseases and Alzheimer's, while reducing memory, immunity and muscle function. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, such as salmon, dampen chronic inflammation, studies show. Red meat promotes inflammation.

3. Control blood sugar. Eating foods that spike your blood sugar and keep it chronically high leads to cell changes that promote aging and chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, gallbladder and heart disease, Alzheimer's, and breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers. What spikes your blood sugar: white bread, white potatoes, most white rice, processed grains and sugary cereals.

4. Maintain a normal weight. Obese people are more apt to have type 2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and mental deterioration. MRIs show faster brain aging in overweight Americans, says new research at the University of California, San Francisco. Other research finds that heavier adults harbor higher brain levels of toxic amyloid beta, a protein involved in Alzheimer's. Restricting food intake slows many aging processes and prolongs life in animals.

10 Terrible Aging Foods

1. Bacon
2. Hot dogs
3. Potato chips
4. White bread
5. White potatoes
6. Corn oil
7. Sugary processed cereals
8. Sugary soft drinks
9. Red meat
10. Doughnuts

10 Top Anti-Aging Foods

1. Apples
2. Blueberries
3. Spinach, dark leafy greens
4. Salmon and sardines
5. Whole-grain cereals
6. Popcorn, unsalted
7. Nuts, notably almonds, walnuts
8. Legumes, including peanuts
9. Green tea
10. Extra-virgin olive oil