What Causes Biological Aging? - Jitter Fitness

So what causes biological aging? When trying to understand how we age the way we do, it can be a little bit more complex than just numbers. We tend to look at someone’s chronological age(how old someone is), and come to a conclusion. But what about biological?

Rarely do we look at our cells to help us figure out why we age the way we do. If you’ve ever heard of telomeres, many researchers have suggested that they may help in determining how someone will age over time based on the length.

We all know how important it is to take care of both our mind and body, but not many people can tell you why. Researchers believe that environmental factors such as lifestyle choices as well as psychological, things like stress, are putting our cells at significant risks.

See also  5 Home Tips For Oliy Skin | Proven Tips | Lifestyle

These risks can cause our cells to suffer major damage, leaving us vulnerable to sickness and disease. So what are telomeres? And what causes people to age differently than others?

What are Telomeres and Why are They Important?

If you’re familiar with chromosomes, then you know that they are made up of DNA. At the end of each chromosome, are protective caps called telomeres. Think of it as the plastic part at the end of our shoelaces. These caps help protect our chromosomes from becoming too damage during cell division.

The reason they are so important is because in order for our body to function properly, our cells need to divide and repair themselves. Telomeres serve as protection during this division process. Studies have shown that shortened telomeres can quicken the aging process.

So the longer your telomeres are, the slower the aging process is for you. Researchers have suggested that this could be the cause as to why some people age differently than others. Some people have longer telomeres than others.

See also  Opening up Gyms and Salons in Karnataka lockdown 4.0

So what cause telomeres to shorten? And is it possible to lengthen them as we age?

Factors That Affect Our Biological Age

Scientists believe that factors like diet, stress, the amount of sun you get can be factors in how healthy your cells develop as you age. Below are factors that can affect the length of your telomeres in either a positive or negative way.

Positive Factors:

  • Vitamin D (sun, supplements)
  • Exercise
  • Water
  • Proper Rest
  • Healthy Diet

Negative Factors:

  • Stress
  • Lack of Sleep
  • Poor Diet

Our telomeres are considered there longest when we are born. As we age, they tend to shorten. The factors shown above have been shown to either shorten or lengthen them as we age.

See also  Does Exercise Help Reduce Stress?

More Reading:TeloYears Reviews – How Well Are You Aging?

As stated earlier, short telomeres can leave us vulnerable to things like sickness and disease.

So if you are someone that tends to get sick often, it may be due to having shortened telomeres. But how do you check the length of your cells?

How You Can Check Your Cell Health

When going for our regular check-ups, we always make sure to get things like blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked. But we never think to check the health of our cells.

As more and more people make health a priority in their lives, learning about new ways to improve it, will become a must. One of those ways is through DNA. Companies like TeloYears and 23andMe currently test for health with the use of DNA.

They make it very easy to test by sending kits straight to your home. All you have to do is provide a saliva or blood sample, and you can get reports to show how your DNA affects your overall health.

Related Content:

Go up