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The idea of delaying or reversing aging has been a long-existing conundrum for humankind, especially among older generations seeking outside sources in hopes of reversing the aging process.

However, recently, as younger generations have raised their awareness of health, "slow aging" is becoming popular across generations in Korea.

Slow-aging dietary habits involve various factors, from consuming appropriate portions of each meal and avoiding simple sugars, refined carbohydrates and red meat.

The most popular diet is Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), suggested by the pioneer of the slow aging trend in Korea, Jung Hee-won, a medical professor and doctor at the geriatric medicine department at Asan Medical Center in Seoul.

The MIND diet is a concept that combines the Mediterranean diet, which consumes less processed foods and balances whole grain and protein intake, with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.

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How to eat

The key is to avoid simple sugars and refined grains while actively incorporating whole grains, beans, vegetables, berries, nuts, poultry, fish and olive oil to slowly raise the glycemic index (GI) during meal times.

In his book "Slow Aging Diet," Jung proposes a Korean-style MIND diet under six principles: to obtain essential nutrients from whole grains, beans and nuts; to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits; to primarily use olive oil for cooking; to consume more fish and poultry while limiting red or processed meats and cheese; to reduce intake of simple sugars and refined grains through fried foods, snacks and carbonated beverages; and to limit alcohol consumption to about one glass of wine per day.

As rice is a staple crop in Korean cuisine, Jung suggests mixing lentils, oats, brown rice and white rice in a 4:2:2:2 ratio instead of simple white rice to help raise blood sugar levels slowly while increasing appropriate protein intake from beans.

Also, to produce healthy hormones, he recommended limiting fried dishes to less than once per week and snacks to 30 grams or less up to four times per week, as these contain trans fats that cause inflammation and develop high insulin resistance. Such conditions lead bodies to raise blood sugar higher and faster with the same amount of food.

Regardless of the dietary suggestions, the professor emphasized that a slow-aging diet is a way of living rather than a simple solution, adding the most important factor is finding a balance in life.

"Aging is not simple. Lifestyle habits like exercise and nutrition are merely the results of the principles of how we operate our lives. If we go into fundamentals, there are factors like stress and sleep, and these life balances are ultimately created by our perspective on life," he told The Korea Times.

"For example, when just one of these three things — sleep, stress or diet — goes wrong, the other two often collapse in sequence, creating a vicious cycle. For instance, when I don't get enough sleep, my hormone balance breaks down, making me more sensitive to stress, and I seek sweet foods to comfort fatigue, easily damaging my eating habits," he said. "Ultimately, I believe that the breakdown of a harmonious life balance leads to a vicious cycle of health."

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Why younger generation take interest?

According to a market research company, Embrain Trendmonitor, a survey of 1,000 people from age 19 to 69 in July 2024 showed that about 55 percent of the respondents in their 20s answered they put in effort to maintain health, while 49.5 percent of those in their 30s answered the same.

When asked about their willingness to invest time and money in delaying aging, 81 percent of those in their 20s and 88 percent of those in their 30s answered yes, indicating growing interest in health issues.

This shift in lifestyle choices is evident in the rising popularity of health-focused community groups.

The secondhand marketplace and community platform Danggeun Market revealed that the number of newly created "salad groups" over the past six months increased by 78 percent compared to the same period the previous year. The number of users participating in these gatherings also surged by 128 percent.

Salad groups gather members to share proof of their salad consumption, exchange information about neighborhood salad shops and discuss recipes. They also organize events to create challenges, like eating one salad dish a day.

Jung explained that the younger generation came to realize the dangers of modern lifestyles and became increasingly interested in preventing unhealthy aging.

"In the past, there was a strong perception that ‘everything's okay when you're young,' but today's younger generation is experiencing obesity and various lifestyle-related diseases at an early age. This has led to a sense of crisis that ‘we might age faster than our parents' generation,'" he said.

"Millennials and Gen Zers value work-life balance and actively engage in self-care, which aligns perfectly with the concept of slow aging as a way of life. As health management is now seen as both self-improvement and a form of leisure, the younger generation has responded enthusiastically."

A model holds 7-Eleven's slow aging ready-to-eat products in collaboration with Professor Jung Hee-won. Courtesy of 7-Eleven

Market responses

Despite hectic lives, an increasing number of younger consumers seek ways for slow aging diets, and companies are responding by introducing ready-to-eat meals and desserts to cater to the growing demands for a health-conscious diet.

CJ CheilJedang rolled out a new line of microwavable rice, Hetbahn, which follows the recipes recommended by Jung, including four to two ratios of lentils, oats, brown rice and white rice.

One of its Hetbahn products, which offers a mix of konjac and rice as an alternative to simple white rice, has recorded approximately 18.6 million sales by December 2024, driving overall sales growth for the Hetbahn brand.

This photo shows konjac Hetbahn microwavable rice products from CJ CheilJedang. Courtesy of CJ CheilJedang

Another Korean food company, Ottogi, launched three types of frozen rice balls that use oats instead of plain white rice as the main ingredient to adopt the slow-aging diet last November. It also had been expanding its instant rice product line by introducing Suhyangmi Brown Rice, which combines white rice and fragrant brown rice in a 5:5 ratio.

Convenient store brand 7-Eleven collaborated with Jung to release slow-aging product lines — chicken breast steak ready-to-eat meal, chicken breast multi-grain rice balls, whole grain mustard chicken breast gimbap, chicken breast multi-grain sandwich and bean curd lentil rice ball with egg salad.

"I wanted to show that convenience store food can be both delicious and healthy. Through this initiative, I hope that even busy modern individuals can easily practice slow aging," Jung said.

Korean coffee franchise Mega MGC Coffee introduced a new dessert line, including the acai bowl, which garnered explosive responses. It has sold over 300,000 in just one month, setting the company's record among dessert menus.

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Will this trend continue?

Despite its growing popularity, some experts question whether slow aging will remain a long-term lifestyle movement or simply be another fleeting health trend.

Noting that younger generations' keen interest in slow aging trends can be seen as unique, Choi Chul, a professor of consumer economics at Sookmyung Women's University, pointed out that the concept might be shifting rather than lasting.

"Aging was normally the main concern among older people. (So,) younger people particularly having an interest in aging already should be seen in a special light … But personally, I think this could be more of a temporary trend rather than something sustained," he said.

"Because young people have a tendency to share and consume a lot through social media and other platforms. So, looking at what's currently attracting attention and what young people in the same generation are really liking and purchasing a lot, it's easy to see how strong the motivation is for others to participate in that experiential consumption."

Although the slow aging keyword might not prevail beyond the trend, the professor noted that the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and well-being, in general, would continue to have demands from consumers.

"Basically, whether you're young or older, everyone is interested in things that prevent aging," he said. "I think there will continue to be consistent interest and consumption in products or menus that promote well-being, health improvement, beauty and other functional benefits."