Telomeres and the Aging Process

Have you wondered what causes our bodies to age?  Is there an internal clock in our bodies ?
 

Our understanding of how our cells age, and how we can protect our cells from aging, is expanding at an amazingly quick pace. Several decades ago, scientists discovered telomeres.  Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of our chromosomes that are similar to the plastic caps at the end of a shoelace. As the plastic ends shred, and the shoelace becomes frayed and damaged, so too the shortening of our telomeres can leave our cells vulnerable to damage.

Telomeres are considered an index of cell age and are like a clock of the cell’s lifespan. Telomere shortening means the cell’s lifespan is shortening. Recent research shows that telomere shortening plays an important role in human disease and mortality. More than 20 studies have shown associations between shorter telomere length and various types of cardiovascular disease (e.g., stroke, heart attacks) and diabetes.  Shorter telomeres have also been associated with cancer, osteoporosis, cognitive function, dementia, and arthritis. On the flip-side, long telomeres are related to healthy aging and overall longevity.

So, does shorter telomere length predict shorter life-span?

 

Mounting evidence suggests that people with shorter immune cell telomeres die earlier than people with longer immune cell telomeres.  However, there’s hope for people with shorter telomeres…recent research suggests that telomeres can lengthen as well as shorten over time.  In particular, we are learning that health behaviors such as exercising, eating a healthy diet and reducing psychological stress may influence how quickly our telomeres shorten or lengthen. So, it appears that there are many things we can do to protect our own telomeres.

 

One Way Nutrition Affects Longevity

 

Scientists found that the B vitamin folate plays an important part in maintenance of DNA integrity and DNA methylation, which in turn influences telomere length.

 

Researchers also found that women who use vitamin B12 supplements have longer telomeres than those who don't. Vitamin D3, zinc, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins C and E also influence telomere length. This supports the findings of an earlier study from 2009, which provided the first epidemiologic evidence that the use of multivitamins by women is associated with longer telomeres.

 

Top 12 Key Nutrients for Life Extension

 

1. Vitamin D

2. Astaxanthin

3. Ubiquinol (CoQ10)

4. Fermented Foods / Probiotics

5. Krill Oil

6. Vitamin K2

7. Magnesium

8. Polyphenols - Grapes (resveratrol), Cacao, Green tea

9. Folate (aka Vitamin B9, or Folic Acid)

10. Vitamin B12

11. Curcumin (Turmeric)

12. Vitamin A

 

Source: www.knowyourtelomeres.com , www.mercola.com