The Secret to Longevity
I don’t know if most of us want to live forever but, as humans, we wouldn’t say no to a few extra “good” years.
The question is: Can we add years to our lives or are we born with a set clock that shuts down the whole operation when it hits zero?
Fo that, I turn to genetics and more specifically to something called telomeres.
What are telomeres?
Telomeres are tiny bits of DNA at the end of our chromosomes. Scientists frequently compare them to the plastic tips of shoelaces that keep the laces together.
Telomeres function similarly, preventing chromosomes from fraying or tangling with one another.
When that happens, it can cause genetic information to get mixed up or destroyed, leading to cell malfunction, increasing the risk of disease, or even shortening lifespans.
Now, each time that a cell divides, its telomeres become shorter and shorter.
Year after year of splicing, these telomeres become too short for more divisions.
Cells become inactive, die or continue dividing but not in a good way.
As more of the cells lose their telomeres, the body starts breaking down.
This telomere shortening process is linked to many diseases including cancers.
So essentially, your age does not determine when the clock will stop but it’s really about the length of your telomeres.
How to elongate telomeres:
1- Exercise regularly
We all know that regular exercise is good for us. But did you know that it can also increase the length of your telomeres?
In a recent study, they found that people who exercised were 3% less likely to have short telomeres compared to people who didn’t exercise at all. And, the more a person exercised, the longer their telomeres were.
Never exercised before? No worries. It’s never too late. The correlation between working out and telomere length seemed to be strongest amongst middle-aged people.
Exercise also helps keep your cells young.
Another study was made on middle-aged adults who were intense runners. They had telomeres that were, on average, 75 percent longer than their sedentary counterparts. Now, you don’t have to be an elite runner to reap these benefits. As long as you include a few high-intensity workouts during the week, your telomeres will thank you.
2- Control and reduce stress
Some studies have linked chronic stress to shorter telomeres. A study in particular compared 2 groups of moms. 1 group of moms who had healthy children and another group who cared for chronically ill children. On average, the caregiving moms had telomeres that were 10 years shorter than the other group of moms.
What does that mean? It means that the cells of the caregiving moms behaved as if they were 10 years older.
How can you control your stress? Exercise, get enough sleep, carve some time for yourself, meditate and eat healthily. We can’t run away from stress but we all have tools at our disposal that can help us control it.
3- Eat a diet rich in antioxidants
A healthy diet is crucial if you want to live well. A diet rich in antioxidants can slow down the aging process and help prevent or reduce cell damage. Taking a supplement can also help (but does not replace a healthy diet).
One study found that women who took a daily supplement had telomeres that were about 5 percent longer than nonusers.
People who eat foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin E have longer telomeres. Foods like oranges, kale, peppers, parsley, kiwis, broccoli are all rich in vitamin C. As far as vitamin E goes, enjoy foods like almonds, spinach, sweet potatoes, mangos, and tomatoes.
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À bientôt,
Laurent