Photo by Jana Leon
|
3 Key Aging Concepts
By Joe Treen, September & October 2006
Aging isn’t a disease; it’s a process. Here’s what you need to know about how it all works
|
Telomeres—your body’s biological clock
Likened to a strand of beads, telomeres are chunks of DNA on the ends of chromosomes that shorten every time the cell divides. We now know stress shortens telomeres, which hastens aging.
Browning apples—oxidation at work
As we get older, we become less efficient at turning oxygen into energy, creating free radicals that damage our cells (like an apple exposed to the air). An antioxidant-rich diet may help.
The sirtuins—a 911 call to the body
When silent information regulator (or SIR) genes are activated, they mop up free radicals, stabilize blood sugar, and otherwise counter the effects of aging. Caloric restriction seems to activate the sirtuins.
|
