Why do we age with time?
Telomeres are an essential part of human cells that influence how our cells age
Telomeres are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes, like the plastic tips on the end of a shoelace.
Without coating, shoelaces become so worn out that they can no longer do their job, just as without telomeres, DNA strands become damaged and our cells cannot do their job.
Telomeres protect vital information in our DNA 4
DNA is made up of all the cells in our bodies. It is the genetic material that makes us who we are. And every organ in our body (skin, liver, heart, etc.) is made up of cells. So, telomeres are essential to our health.
Our cells renew by copying themselves. This happens constantly throughout our lives. Telomeres get shorter each time a cell copies itself, but important DNA remains intact
Eventually, telomeres become too short to do their job, causing cells to age and stop working properly.
Telomeres shorten as we age, but telomeres can also shorten due to stress, smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, and poor diet 3,4,6,7
Telomeres shorten as we age, but telomeres can also shorten due to stress, smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, and poor diet 3,4,6,7
Telomeres shorten as we age, but telomeres can also shorten due to stress, smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, and poor diet 3,4,6,7
Short telomeres are associated with premature cellular aging
Telomere shortening is involved in all aspects of the aging process at the cellular level. Telomere length represents our biological age compared to our chronological age.
Numerous scientific studies have shown a strong connection between short telomeres and cell aging
Research studies
In 2009, the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine was awarded to three scientists who discovered how an enzyme called telomerase affects telomere length.
First randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to show that telomeres are lengthened in humans
References
1-Jaskelioff M, et al. Telomerase reactivation reverses tissue degeneration in aged telomerase-deficient mice. Nature. 2011;469:102–107.
2-Sahin E, DePinho RA. Linking functional decline of telomeres, mitochondria and stem cells during ageing. Nature. 2010;464:520–528.
3-Blackburn EH, Epel ES. Comment: Too toxic to ignore. Nature. 2012;490:169–171.
4-Eisenberg DTA. An evolutionary review of human telomere biology: the thrifty telomere hypothesis and notes on potential adaptive paternal effects. American Journal of Human Biology. 2011;23:149–167.
5-Oeseburg H, et al. Telomere biology in healthy aging and disease. Pflügers Archiv – European Journal of Physiology. 2010;459:259–268.
6-Aubert G, Lansdorp PM. Telomeres and aging. Physiological Reviews. 2008;88:557–579.
7-Ornish D. Effect of comprehensive lifestyle changes on telomerase activity and telomere length in men with biopsy-proven low-risk prostate cancer: 5-year follow-up of a descriptive pilot study. The Lancet Oncology. 2013;14(11):1112–1120.
8-Armanios M, Blackburn EH. The telomere syndromes. Nature Reviews Genetics. 2012;13:693–704.
9-Kaszubowska L. Telomere shortening and ageing of the immune system. Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2008;59(Suppl 9):169–186.
10-Valdes AM, et al. Telomere length in leukocytes correlates with bone mineral density and is shorter in women with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis International. 2007;18(9)1203–1210.
11-Valdes AM, et al. Obesity, cigarette smoking, and telomere length in women. The Lancet. 2005;366(964)662–664.
12-Salvador L, Singaravelu G, Harley CB, Flom P, Suram A, Raffaele JM. A Natural Product Telomerase Activator Lengthens Telomeres in Humans: A Randomized, Double Blind, and Placebo Controlled Study. Rejuvenation Research. June 2013. 16(5).
