Feed your cells to slow the aging process and resist disease.
People have sought the fountain of youth for millennia, trying everything from ancient potions to vitamin supplements. In recent years, scientists have zeroed in on the actual causes of cellular aging. After all, the body consists of an estimated 37 trillion cells, and as these cells collectively age, so does the rest of the body. But one detail might just influence the aging process more than others. It’s the length of a tiny bit of genetic material called a telomere. And it’s one aspect of our genes that we can change.
To explain, each cell of our bodies contains a suite of genes, our hereditary information and instructions for how those cells function. The genes are organized into 46 groups called chromosomes. Telomeres wrap around the tips of these chromosomes, sort of how you might wrap a ribbon around a fingertip. The telomeres shorten each time a cell divides to make another cell, which happens during normal growth and healing throughout our lives.
It turns out that the length of a person’s telomeres correlates with her biological (not chronological) age and risk of developing disease. That means telomeres don’t shorten at the same rate in all people. And considerable research indicates that certain eating habits, lifestyles, and supplements can help people maintain the longer telomeres associated with being younger.
GENETIC INSTABILITY UNRAVELS OUR HEALTH
Although telomere is far from being a household word, the science has garnered true respect. In 2009 researchers were awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering how telomeres protected chromosomes and our genetic material. Telomere research is serious science.
This story is from the Winter 2016 edition of Amazing Wellness.
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This story is from the Winter 2016 edition of Amazing Wellness.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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