Loading ...The science of living longer=LOAD UP ON WHOLE GRAINS
Cutting-edge science is unlocking the anti-aging secrets of telomeres—tiny segments of DNA that may reveal breakthrough insights into staying healthy and living longer. (Check out our full report on telomeres, Your Anti-Aging Future.) Basically, the shorter your telomeres, the shorter your life. Recent studies have linked telomere length to an array of age-related conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
While only time will tell as to what role interventions from genetic engineering or telomerase-activating compounds will play, there’s good evidence that you can protect or lengthen telomeres with simple lifestyle changes. Here are seven ways to help lengthen your telomeres—and your life—starting today.
LOAD UP ON WHOLE GRAINS
Research links fiber, especially from cereal, to longer telomeres in women. That may be partly because folic acid, which fortifies enriched grain products such as breads and cereals, is thought to help protect DNA, including telomeres. Other research finds that levels of folate (the form that folic acid takes in the blood) appear related to telomere length in men. But researchers think that antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties of whole grains and plant-based foods in general help explain the effect as well—reason for the 95% of Americans who don’t eat the recommended 5 to 8 ounces of whole grains a day to get more.
Watch your weight
The relationship between weight and telomere length appears to be complex. “We’ve found that people with a higher body mass index tend to have longer telomeres,” says Dr. Schaefer. But other studies have found the opposite. Age and other factors may play a role. In one study of women ages 35 to 74, yo-yo dieting and gaining pounds after age 30 were associated with truncated telomeres. “Obesity causes chronic inflammation, which produces oxidative damage, and telomeres are sensitive to that,” says Dr. Parks. (Oxidation is a process in which oxygen triggers chemical reactions in the body that can damage cells and tissues.) “The longer you’re overweight, the more damage may occur,” Dr. Parks says. Evidence suggests, as one study she worked on concludes, “obesity may accelerate aging.” (Follow this simple plan to help you
http://www.prevention.com/health/healthy-living/lengthen-dna-telomeres-longer-life?s=1