4 natural anti-aging foods for looking and feeling younger

The pigments and vitamins found in everyday foods naturally fight the effects of ageing by battling diseases and helping you maintain a healthy, youthful appearance.

Papaya is rich in red, yellow and orange pigments known as carotenoids, which are full of antioxidants beneficial to the skin and body.

The carotenoid family: The carotenoid family includes beta carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are powerful antioxidants and excellent sources of vitamin A, C, and E.

• They enter the bloodstream when you eat papaya and work magic on your skin by boosting your skin's defences against harmful sun rays and ridding your body of free radicals.

Research: Recent research on people between the ages of 40 and 50 showed that those whose diets were rich in carotenoids had fewer, less noticeable wrinkles.

Other produce: Other fruits and vegetables also contain carotenoids. Look for the rich red, yellow and orange colours in fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, tomatoes, grapefruit, mangoes and cantaloupe.

Other benefits: Eat your fill of these fruits and vegetables, as they do more than improve the appearance of your skin.

• Eating papaya improves digestive health, reduces inflammation in the body, boosts immunity, improves joint function and increases energy.
• Papaya is also known to be effective in fighting hormone-related cancers, such as breast cancer.

Cocoa, the main ingredient in dark chocolate, contains a flavonoid called epicatechin, which is packed with antioxidants.

• Research has shown that ingesting dark chocolate improves heart health, regulates blood pressure and prevents heart attacks.
• Dark chocolate is also thought to slow the effects of age-related dementia.

The oil in avocados produces a large amount of antioxidants, which fight cancer and heart disease and boost immunity to combat other diseases.

• Avocados can also improve the health of diabetics by improving blood lipids. They are also rich in vitamin E, which gives skin and hair a healthy, youthful glow.

Blueberries are full of vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants. Blueberries are also rich in a the deep blue pigments known as flavonoids.

• Researchers have demonstrated that ingesting blueberries improves memory function.
• The flavonoids are believed to enhance neural connections in the brain and stimulate neural regeneration.