Food and Healthy Aging: What Telomere Research Suggests

As society continues to develop and reach more advanced medical levels, we continue searching for a way to postpone aging. We all want to live at the prime of our physical and mental health for as long as possible. But is there a way to slow the process of aging? Is it anti-aging medicine? Supplements? New technologies? Here, we take a look.

Telomeres and anti-aging medicine

Many scientists are studying whether something known as telomeres might play a role in the aging process. Telomeres within our body protect our DNA by acting as a kind of buffer at the tips of chromosomes. Think of telomeres as the plastic cap you would add on top of shoelaces to ensure they do not fray. Some researchers think protecting your telomeres may be linked to healthier aging, though this is still being studied.

The average cell in our bodies divides anywhere from 50 to 70 times before its death. Similarly, the telomeres on the ends of these chromosomes get shorter with each division. It is inevitable that shorter telomeres will result in less protection for our DNA. And some studies suggest that people who have longer telomeres, even as they get older, may tend to live longer and healthier lives, although the link is not fully understood. But can we protect the length of our telomeres?

A small study in 2008 led by Dr. Dean Ornish found that when his test subjects ate a plant-based diet, along with other healthy lifestyle changes, for around three months, they showed increased telomerase activity in their bodies. The study could not show exactly what caused the change, but it suggests a healthy and sustainable plant-based diet may be one part of a long and healthy life. Cutting back on processed meats and other processed foods we have come to love is not easy, but it is a healthy habit worth working toward. Healthy food is not a cure for aging, but it is an important part of aging well!

Here Fitness Chiropractic & Massage Therapy we offer a full range of services focused on health and wellness. These services include nutrition counseling, weight loss, personal training, chiropractic adjustment, massage therapy and more! Visit our Huntington Beach chiropractor and we can get you on a great nutrition plan and help you reach your weight loss goals.