Could telomeres be the key to aging?
They say aging is just a number, but what if it actually has more to do with your telomere length?
What are telomeres?
Biologist and psychologist Elizabeth Blackburn and psychologist Elissa Epel won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009 for discovering that our chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase. Telomeres are protective caps found on both ends of chromosomes that protect DNA from damage. Blackburn has compared them to looking like shoelace caps.
Telomere length is a marker of how fast we’re aging on a cellular level rather than what our physical age is. So even though you might be 40 years old, your telomeres might show that you’re biological age is really 60 years old or even younger at 30 years old. Size matters
Long telomeres are associated with greater longevity whereas short telomeres have been associated with age-related diseases such as dementia. The enzyme telomerase prevents telomeres from shortening and can even lengthen them. Older people whose telomeres are shortening quickly are three to eight times more likely to die from heart or infectious diseases. Short telomeres is also associated with an increased risk for cancer, cognitive decline and several other diseases. Therefore, the rate of telomere shortening is a critical factor in a person’s health and longevity.
Luckily tests now exist that measure your telomere length.
Dr. Sara Gottfried, author of the book Younger: A Breakthrough Program to Reset Your Genes, Reverse Aging, and Turn Back the Clock 10 Years, discussed in an interview about how she “failed” her telomere test, “At 44, I thought I was doing great. I thought I was aging well. My hormones were in a healthy place. I was a yoga teacher. I was relatively sane but this test showed otherwise. At 44, I had the telomere length of a 64-year-old woman. Huge wakeup call. From that test, I concluded that I was aging poorly and I needed to do something about it. I think you may do this too.”
Fountain of youth?
Luckily studies have shown that lifestyle factors are the main factors that affect our telomere length. Scientists have also recently discovered that mind-body techniques positively affect telomere length. “Telomeres listen to you, they listen to your behaviors, they listen to your state of mind,” Blackburn said in an interview.
Although it’s tempting to consider telomere length and telomerase activity as the keys to longevity, there are many factors to consider when it comes to aging.
Geneticist and anti-aging researcher at Harvard University in Boston, USA Dr. David Sinclair stated, “I think it’s a very difficult thing to prove conclusively that lifestyle can affect telomere length and therefore lifespan. To get cause-effect in humans is impossible, so it’s based on associations.” Moreover, aging is a complex process that’s affected by several factors including sex and mitochondrial function.
Instead, Dr. Sinclair believes that aging occurs for more reasons than just our telomere length. His research points to epigenetics as the main cause. Epigenetics is the study of factors that affect genetic expression, not the genes themselves. Not all of our genes are “turned on” at the same time and certain lifestyle factors such as fasting, high interval training and diet can “turn on” certain longevity genes, which he outlines in his book Longevity: Why we age-- and why we don’t have to.
Whether it’s just telomere length or a combination of other causes that affect aging most, the research of the association between telomere length and aging seems pretty solid.
What can we do to slow down our biological clock and keep our telomeres long?
Lifestyle factors that affect telomere length
Manage stress: Chronic psychological stress has been found to shorten telomeres.
Exercise regularly: A study conducted in 5,823 adult men and women showed that regular high levels of exercise led to a longer telomere length and up to nine years reduced cellular aging compared to sedentary individuals or those who only participated in low levels of activity. Although the exact mechanisms are currently unknown, moderate exercise is known to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which are known to shorten telomere length.
Meditation: A study in Buddhist meditation retreat participants showed that intense daily meditation increased telomerase activity, which prevents telomere shortening, compared to controls. Other studies have also shown that even small amounts of meditation can improve telomere length. The good news is you don’t have to be a Buddhist monk to benefit from even just a few minutes of meditation a day.
Reduce chemical exposure: Exposure to toxins such as car exhaust and cancer causing agents such as polycyclic aromatic hydrogens has been associated with shorter telomere length.
Reduce inflammation: Chronic inflammation from chronic disease and immune dysfunction has been associated with shorter telomeres and less telomerase activity.
Foods that affect telomeres
Plant-based, whole foods diet: Two large studies have shown that adhering to a mostly plant based and whole foods diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, can lengthen telomeres and promote longevity. A traditional Mediterranean diet consists of a high consumption of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, olive oil, fish and a low meat, chicken and dairy intake.
Wild-caught fish: Consuming more omega 3 fatty acids, specifically the forms EPA and DHA which are found in fatty fish like sardines and salmon, has been associated with slower telomere shortening. This could be due to the anti-inflammatory effects of omega 3 fatty acids.
Fiber: Consuming at least 20g of fibre a day, especially from whole grains, has been associated with longer telomere length. The authors hypothesized that this could be due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity in fiber rich foods.
Antioxidants: Foods rich in vitamin C and E as well as other antioxidant rich foods such as green tea, berries and olives may help protect your telomeres from shortening.
Avoid sugar: Consuming excess sugar and processed carbohydrates causes blood sugar imbalances that can eventually lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and even obesity. These conditions promote inflammation which negatively affects telomere length.
Skip the fries and chips: Ultra processed foods may taste good but may have damaging effects to how quickly you age. A recent study found that eating three or more servings a day of ultra processed foods was associated with shorter telomeres. These types of packaged foods are full of additives, emulsifiers, and other inflammatory ingredients and don’t provide much nutritional value. A high consumption of these foods is also associated with diabetes, excess body weight and a diet low in fruits and vegetables.
Cut back on alcohol: It’s well known that excess drinking does a number on your liver, but most don’t know that heavy drinking can age you faster because it can shorten your telomeres.
Enjoy that cup of coffee or tea: Good news! Caffeine appears to enhance the enzyme telomerase which protects telomeres from shortening. Although your cup of coffee may not be the key to the fountain of youth, it may help slow down the aging process.
In conclusion, no one single lifestyle factor seems to be the magic bullet for longevity or maintaining long telomeres. Current research shows that eating a plant-based whole foods diet, exercising regularly, managing stress and consuming antioxidant rich foods are the keys to longevity. Although the exact mechanisms of how all these factors specifically affect telomere length and telomerase activity is still unknown, the good news is it’s never too late to start implementing these changes to slow the aging process.
***Note: This article was written for Wellness Journey.
References
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5. Sindi, S., Solomon, A., Kåreholt, I., Hovatta, I., Antikainen, R., Hänninen, T., Levälahti, E., Laatikainen, T., Lehtisalo, J., Lindström, J., Paajanen, T., Peltonen, M., Singh Khalsa, D., Wolozin, B., Strandberg, T., Tuomilehto, J., Soininen, H., Ngandu, T., Kivipelto, M., & FINGER Study Group (2021). Telomere Length Change in a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline: A Randomized Clinical Trial. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 76(3), 491–498. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaa279
