Reverse Aging process
from the moment we're born the reverse countdown
begins the countdown towards death you can try to hide your age as much as you
want. but the body doesn't lie slowly the hair starts withering and turning
gray. the skin starts to loosen, the eyes don't see as they used to anymore and
your usual sharpness is nowhere to be seen.
but why does
this happen and is it inevitable maybe not. read to the end of the article as
we discuss the biological mechanisms at play that lead to aging and seven
things that you can start doing to slow down this process and even reverse it.
so why do we age?
growing old
is normal just like we grew from being little toddlers to energetic teenagers
and then from there to mature adults. we're bound to turn old. however the rate at
which people age and turn old is not fixed. some turn old and weak in their 50s
and some run marathons at 101 years of age.
fauja singh from east London isac credited to be
the oldest marathon runner running a distance of 10kilometers in one hour 32
minutes and 28seconds. so it appears that there is no internal clock inside of
ourselves that tells them to turn old as we reach a certain age then what leads
to aging.
research suggests that there are 9 hall marks of aging, that contribute in one way or the other to you becoming old: these are
1. genomic instability
2. telomere attrition
3. epigenetic alteration
4. loss of proteostasis
5. deregulated nutrient sensing
6. mitochondrial dysfunction
7. cellular senescence
8. stem cell exhaustion
9. altered intracellular communication
let's look at two of the most common popular hall marks
of aging that have been widely believed to be the primary reasons for aging.
cellular senescence
it is a process in which cells stop dividing due to
an internal or external stressor to prevent tumours and cancer. since we're
always facing some kind of stressor our cells continue to go into citizens and
that can lead to aging.
telomere attrition
telomeres protects the end of a chromosome from damage. it doesn't contain genetic information but it is still crucial to hold the chromosome together. Each time a cell divides, the telomere is becoming small. this shortening of the telomere continues until it becomes so sure that the cell can no longer divide. this is called the critical length of the telomere and it triggers the cell to die.
finally it is time to look at the seven easy ways to reverse the signs of aging and live a longer healthier life.
No 1. anti-aging diet
the quest for reversing the aging process starts
with looking into the lives of people who have done it. the number of centenarians
in japan has hit a massive 86500 with an average life expectancy of around 84.3.
according to the data published in december 2019 similarly the Mediterranean
countries like Italy, France, spain, and greece are always in the top charts
for life expectancy.
compared to that the average life expectancy in the U.S is significantly lower. the lowest being for Mississippi with 74.4 according
to the data of 2019. the main reason for this variation is diet. diet plays a significant
role in slowing down or speeding up the aging process. the common feature in
all the countries with the highest life expectancy is a diet rich in fresh
fruits and vegetables.
one such
diet the Mediterranean diet has long been studied for its anti-aging characteristics.
the areas that follow this diet have some of the highest life expectancies in
the world. studies suggest that this diet can reduce the risk of age-related
diseases like dementia, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
not only
does this diet slow down the effects of aging but it can also reverse aging in
older people should they adopt it the Mediterranean diet. consists of lean
proteins, fresh fruit, and vegetables, whole grains and healthful fats like olive
oil. on the other hand the American diet consists of processed fried foods,
sugars and beverages.
some of the foods that are believed to have anti-aging
properties that you should include in your diet include red bell pepper,
blueberries, broccoli, papaya, avocado, and nuts.
No 2. Alternative day fasting
speaking of foods another thing that could help you out in slowing down the aging process is to decrease your caloric intake. it might sound a little harsh but our body needs a little tough love sometimes not only should you consume less.
but try including fasting into the equation Alternative day fasting is a very powerful tool to rejuvenate your cells and let your body rest
from all the work that it has to do to digest food. for starters aim for around
eight to ten hours of fasting and then slowly increase it.
No 3. regular exercise
just a few
decades ago we had to move around a lot to get daily tasks done. there was not
even a concept of a need for setting some time aside for exercise. how times
have changed now people pay hefty sums of money and find special time to get
their heartbeats going. the result is of course an accelerated rate of aging in
the masses.
when we think about exercise the first thing that comes
to mind is a fat guy trying to run a marathon with a banana in his hand. while
being made fun of exercise is not necessary just to lose weight exercise is
essential to keep us strong and alive for longer. sitting around and not moving
the body increases the risk of developing diseases like diabetes, heart disease,
and an early death.
it's totally understandable that your job requires
you to sit in front of a computer for the whole day for that you're not to
blame. but what makes you blame worthy is going home just to sit in front of
another screen to watch new seasons on Netflix. the biggest enemy that stops us
from finding time to exercise is the good old excuse
in our minds we have associated
the idea of exercising with working out in a gym only and if you don't have
time for that then of course you cannot exercise. is it right or wrong ? research
suggests that 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity a week should be enough to
put you off the book from the risk of many diseases like heart diseases,
Alzheimer's, and other age-related diseases. that's a little more than 20
minutes of brisk walk every day. even if you can manage that.
No 4. get enough sleep
we all have weighed sleep against other important
stuff before. when the suspense of what happens next in the series is more
powerful than going sleepless into the next day or when you have waited out the
entire preparation time of the exam just to pull it all night or before the exam
and then brag about it later then it's not just the sleep that you're compromising
on it's your life.
chronic sleep
deprivation is linked with an increased risk of disappointment, obesity, infections,
heart disease, and early death. you don't want to be there some things that you
can try to improve your sleep include. make a sleep schedule whatever important
stuff needs to be done. you just put everything aside when it is time because
sleep is important too. coffee before bedtime is a no-go.
caffeine can interfere with your ability to fall
asleep and so does nicotine and alcohol. avoid screens before bedtime, the blue
light emitted from screens interferes with the circadian rhythm of our body
which makes it increasingly difficult to go to sleep. another thing that you
can try is to keep your bed room cool, quiet and dark.
No 5. don't smoke
if you're planning to enjoy your vacations on mars while your family lives on the moon in the 22nd century then you can't take any risks. smoking is the biggest enemy to your longevity plans and if you don't quit smoking now then you should have your will written down just in case. smoking is the gateway to a hellish lot of diseases and problems.
a large
nationwide study has found that smokers are three times more likely to die
prematurely of heart diseases or stroke. if you have been pumping out smoke
from your lungs for a long time now and think that the damage is already done
you need to snap out of it.
the same study that consigned the smokers to an
early death also reported that the smokers who quit before the age of 40.
reduced their risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease by 90 % that should make you think things over.
No 6. protect the skin
enjoying good sunlight feels great but you shouldn't throw caution to the wind and go overboard because the sunlight contains ultraviolet radiation that can damage your DNA and cause premature aging of the skin. the best defense against this is to avoid the sun in the peak hours as much as possible and wear sunscreen.
similarly air pollution can have just as devastating
effects on the skin pollutants like nitrous oxide float in the air which can
cause hyperpigmentation of the skin. antioxidants like vitamin c and e can help
protect the skin against damage from environmental pollution.
No 7. avoid stress
when a person is diagnosed with heart disease the doctors usually caution him against stress. for a normal person however stress is just part of life. if that stress is managed in a healthful way then there isn't need for much worry.
but if it turns into chronic stress then it can lead to an early death and contribute to diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, disappointment, and migraines among many others.