I got interested in the topic doing some background reading on marijuana and how it accelerated the aging process. We took a deeper dive into the topic last month detailing what’s going on inside our cells and DNA after some of you out there sent me feedback about your interest also. I detailed the principal biology and mechanism of aging—losing telomere length (TL). Telomeres are those protective caps that preserve critical genetic information as DNA gets copied each time cells duplicate. Inaccurate replication of strands of DNA leads to early cell death and possible malignant transformation, both contributing to a shortened lifespan. The end caps of our genes are so central to healthy aging that a recent review said, “Although more detailed research is needed, it’s undeniable that our future is largely in our ‘ends.’” So sorry, but there’s no “antidote to getting old.” How we age is determined by a combination of nature—our genetics—and nurture—what we do to ourselves through the years. Aging is inevitable, but staying healthy as the years add up is a choice. Let’s look at some of the things we can choose to do in our daily lives to help our bodies stretch out the aging process and stay in prime “biological” shape as we pile on the years.
Based on all the posts over the last few months, the evidence is clear: healthy lifestyle choices translate, at least measured with a biological ruler, into preservation of telomere length and a longer life span. The critical significance of healthy choices is nicely documented in a study published last year that talks about just how much control we can have over our aging process: “The importance of managing positive risk factors by adopting a healthy lifestyle is central to promote telomere length and health.” An obvious subset of healthy lifestyle choices is dietary choices. The huge impact junk food, and all the fat and artificial additives it contains, has on hastening aging is something that is getting increasing attention these days. It’s another issue we’ve talked about recently. Several studies over the last few years have reported a strong association between dietary fat and telomere length. A study from Australia found that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake preserved telomere length, while saturated fat (SA) intake—junk food—led to telomere shortening. A similar study of patients with coronary artery diseases (CAD) showed a positive association between blood levels of PUFA and longer telomere length along with a negative association between saturated fat levels and telomere length.
Interestingly, telomere length and cognitive dysfunction and dementia also correlates with fat food intake. For reference, saturated fats are usually solids at room temperature and found in animal-based foods such as beef, pork, poultry, full-fat dairy products, eggs, and tropical oils, such as coconut and palm. Foods that are high in PUFA are fish, including anchovies, herring, salmon, sardines, bluefin tuna, whitefish, striped bass, and cobia. Also, some nuts and seeds like walnuts, flaxseeds, and sunflower seeds are a healthy dietary choice. More confirmation of this comes from a recent study done in Spain that concludes, “Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (plant-rich diet) and consumption of nuts and seeds (and their derivatives) leads to maintenance of TL and stem cell function therefore promoting health and longevity.”
Another healthy lifestyle choice we can make is our amount of daily exercise and physical activity. I’m sure the theme is clear by now, working out is good for your health because it’s good at preserving telomere length. A 2022 meta-analysis (combination of multiple studies) published in the Journal of Sports Medicine added up results from 47 recent reviews that concluded, “Exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity leads to significantly longer telomere length (TL) when compared to a relatively sedentary lifestyle.”
A few months ago, I wrote about “The Fountain of Youth,” talking about the Type II diabetes class of meds, the GLP-1s (Ozempic, Mounjaro, etc.). Pounding away on the same theme, one of the mechanisms that this class of meds has that promotes longevity is helping to maintain telomere length. There’s good recent data that GLP-1 “protects against oxidative stress and genomic instability, preserves telomere length, and prevents stem cell exhaustion.”
There are all kinds of ads on TV and the web pushing magic potions, concoctions, and pills along with various other remedies supposedly promoting longevity. Don’t believe it, but there are some natural substances that can help. There is reliable data from randomized double-blind control studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that shows vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) found in high-quality fish and some supplements may be beneficial for telomere maintenance. Four years of supplementation with 2,000 IU/day vitamin D3 reduced loss of telomere length by significant amounts. This was supported by a review from the American Heart Association that also showed benefits of Vitamin D in telomere length in patients with heart disease. There’s not a clear mechanism that’s been agreed on, but the early consensus is the omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D have an anti-inflammatory effect on cells, protecting them from free oxygen radical damage to genetic material. Just don’t overdo it. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble chemical, and it can build up in body tissues; too much can lead to toxicity.
Adding to the list of modifiable life choices is the way we deal with daily stress that impacts all our lives. Researchers at the University of Minnesota published a study last year on how chronic stress accelerates the aging process by stirring up a witch’s cauldron of bad stuff that we’ve been talking about. “Chronic stress and all the hormonal and biochemical changes that ravage our body results in shortening telomere length leading to cellular senescence (cell death), DNA damage, epigenetic changes, and production of reactive oxygen free radicals causing inflammation and tissue destruction.” Failure to control stress levels “confers increased risk and often earlier onset of age-related diseases that severely degrade quality of life and are the primary causes of death in older adults. Stress increases risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis and many others.” Yikes—that all sounds bad.
Since antiquity, all kinds of schemes have been around trying to defy or delay the inevitability of aging. A few months ago, I talked about the legend of Spanish explorer Ponce de León’s quest for the fountain of youth. Likewise, consider Lucas Cranach’s painting Fountain of Youth from way back in 1546 that shows elderly, frail, and worn people, some unable to even walk, being led to the “pool of youth,” emerging young and vigorous as they walk out the other side. Quite a miracle, but we all know that it’s not that way in the real world. The years add up and take their toll but there are all these things I talked about, and more, that we can do to stay as healthy and fit as our genetics allow. Take your health maintenance seriously. Every day is precious, and putting in the time and effort it takes to make the right choices pays huge dividends, allowing you to enjoy health and vitality as the years pile up.
