Possibly Reverse Cell Aging by Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle

        

     A study of 35 men with prostate cancer conducted by the University of California may support the fact that a strict diet, meditation, and exercise routine may reverse cell aging. The men who altered their lifestyles had much younger cells. Ten men adopted meditation, yoga, and a vegetarian diet. The telomeres of these men increased by an average of 10% over the five year study period, while the telomeres of the twenty-five men who did not change their lifestyle decreased by an average of 3%.  Telomeres are caps at the end of the chromosome that protest the chromosome end and protect against genetic information loss in cell division. Telomeres shorten as we age due to cell division and indicate when cell death should occur. Many have wondered if the shortening of telomeres can be stopped or reversed. The work done by Professor Dean Ornish suggests that telomere length can be increased.

     Several age-related diseases, such as many cancers and heart disease, are related to telomere length. A possible area of research may be the effect of altered lifestyles and increase in telomere length on cancer outcomes. Professor Ornish suggests that if the study is applied to controlled, randomized trials, lifestyle changes can be proven to decrease the risk of early mortality and many diseases. Yet, some, such as Dr. Lyn Cox and Dr. Tom Vulliamy, believe that the study is too small to draw significant conclusions. Decrease in telomere length is unlikely to be the only explanation for aging.

     Other work supports these findings by suggesting that sedentary lifestyles hasten cell aging. A twin study showed that those who engage in physical activity in their free time were “biologically younger” while those who were inactive had telomeres that shortened faster. The study was conducted at King’s College London using 2,401 white twins. The study focused on white blood cells in the immune system. Individuals who engaged in the least amount of exercise had telomeres 200 nucleotides shorter than those that engaged in the greatest amount of exercise. On average, those who engaged in the most physical activity had telomeres the length of inactive individuals ten years younger. Further, stress may impact telomere length.

     I believe that research on the effect of lifestyle on cell aging holds much significance. Heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles are on the rise. Giving concrete evidence of the effects of lifestyle on our biology will be more effective in encouraging individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles. Studies should be conducted on individuals of varying races, genders, and ages to, as the studies discussed were conducted using only small or homogenous groups. I hope that further, more extensive studies are conducted to give concrete evidence that healthy lifestyles can help decrease cell aging. 

Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24111357
              http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7212698.stm