How telomeres affect premature aging

The Anti-Aging and Genetic Specialist, Dr. Tanya Álvarez, shares her knowledge on why aging occurs and how we can prevent premature aging from happening.

The process of aging is a topic of interest that is constantly being studied by the international scientific community. Our lifestyle and daily habits have a direct influence in the process of cellular aging. Cellular aging is a natural physiological process that occurs in the life span of every individual, however, we can avoid premature aging by making healthier lifestyle choices.

In the last few years, the theory of telomere shortening has become widely accepted, as there are numerous studies that reveal the correlation between the shortening of telomeres –the extreme ends of chromosomes- and aging. They influence our general state of health, metabolism oxidation and cellular aging. Our telomeres are longest when we’re born and thereafter, they start to shorten throughout our life. The process of them shortening varies from person to person and by analysing them, we can determine whether a person is aging according to their chronological age, or not.

The most common causes of premature aging are:

• Smoking
• Diet
• Daily alcohol consumption
• Coffee
• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Exposure to environmental pollution

All these factors have a very important external influence in our DNA. Luckily, by avoiding these risk factors, we can improve our state of health and age gracefully.

When it comes to nutrition, an anti-aging diet rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants can prevent the shortening of telomeres, therefore, prevent premature aging.

On the other hand, aside from including exercise in your daily routine, sleeping at least 7 hours a night and maintaining stress levels low, it is also important to practice meditation. There are studies that show that meditation stimulates 2 genes that produce telomerase, the enzyme that shortens telomeres, thus, slowing down the process of aging.

At SHA, we carry out in-depth anti-aging testing where we evaluate various parameters, such as the blood, urine, faeces, as well as genomic information through genetic testing, which is very useful for us to create a personalised health plan for each individual. This information also allows us to prevent the process of developing certain pathologies that come with age.

When these results are obtained, a specialist in anti-aging medicine interprets the results in order to create a health plan that adapts to the needs of each patient. These plans always include nutrition guidelines, exercise plans, change of habits and natural supplements that contribute to cellular protection and optimise the function of each of our cells.

Come discover the Preventative and Genetic Medicine unit at SHA Wellness Clinic to improve your quality of life!