Why do two people of the same age age so differently?
There are many factors that will influence it, many of them related to our lifestyle, but there is also an indicator to determine what this process will be like: it is telomeres .
Telomeres are nothing more than the ends of our chromosomes, but these specific regions of DNA play a key role in cellular aging and therefore in determining our current state of health and what it will be in the future. One of the first people to study the role of these regions of DNA was biochemist Elisabeth Blackburn, whose findings led her to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009. What she concluded is that during the natural aging process, the synthesis of the enzyme telomerase decreases and this translates into a degradation of telomeres that become shorter and less protective. Telomere shortening is natural as we get older and can also be accelerated as a result of uncontrollable environmental factors. We can also modify the telomere degradation process through lifestyle factors that we can act on. Some of the factors on which by acting we can achieve a positive impact on the length of the telomeres and thus on our current and future state of health are:- Diet : It is important to follow a balanced diet rich in all the nutrients our body needs. Let's not forget to incorporate foods that provide us with extra antioxidants .
- Rest: sleep is restful. Sleeping adequate hours will minimize the stress to which our body is subjected.
- Hydration : keep your body hydrated, this way you will ensure a good level of cellular hydration. - Sport or active life: recent studies indicate that the more physically active we are, the more likely we are to maintain telomere length.
- Sport or active life : recent studies indicate that the more physically active we are, the more likely we are to maintain telomere length.
