{"id":125630,"date":"2018-11-09T08:53:19","date_gmt":"2018-11-09T06:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/telomeres-the-anti-ageing-break-through\/"},"modified":"2018-11-09T08:53:19","modified_gmt":"2018-11-09T06:53:19","slug":"telomeres-the-anti-ageing-break-through","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/telomeres-the-anti-ageing-break-through\/","title":{"rendered":"Telomeres: The anti-ageing break through?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Telomeres: The anti-ageing break through?<\/a>: <\/p>\n

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You don\u2019t have to look far to see how afraid the human race is of ageing. The anti-ageing market is a lucrative business, with hundreds of thousands of products, anti-wrinkle creams, remedies, quick fixes and plastic surgery options on the market, and countless laboratories looking for answers in genetics, within molecular and cellular biology, and in biochemistry \u2013 all focused on slowing down the aging process, inside and out.<\/p>\n

According to Stats SA\u2019s 2018 mid-year population estimates, the average life expectancy for South Africans is 64 for males and 71 for females, with less than 1% of the population expected to live past 80 years old.<\/p>\n

Now latest worldwide research into finding an antidote to ageing, with over 20 000 studies to date, seems to point towards the end of your DNA strands \u2013 your telomeres to be exact. The cause, effect and the solution to the speed at which you age lies within these spirally chromosomes.<\/p>\n

Telomeres are the blueprint for the production of new cells in your body and protect the chromosomes housing your all-important DNA. As we age, our telomeres become shorter, which makes them a tangible, biological \u201cmeasure\u201d of a lifespan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink of them like the hard bit at the end of your shoelaces, except these shoelaces are the spirally chromosomes that house your genes. Every time you make a new cell, your telomere length shortens and when you \u201crun out\u201d of sufficient length, the game is over,\u201d says world-renowned nutrition expert Patrick Holford.<\/p>\n

While the list of factors that speed up ageing is short, they are not easily eliminated out of our lives through conscious decision but rather as a work in progress.<\/p>\n

Holford outlines the top causes of faster ageing:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Stress and early life traumas
\u2022 Depression
\u2022 Hostile cynicism
\u2022 Lack of sleep
\u2022 High homocysteine levels
\u2022 Inflammation
\u2022 Exposure to pesticides or herbicides
\u2022 Obesity
\u2022 Smoking
\u2022 Heavyweight alcohol consumption<\/p>\n

\u201cAs symptoms of ageing occur, so more drugs are added to the list of daily medication. While effective in emergencies or when things become dire, drugs aren\u2019t tools to keep you healthy or young,\u201d says Holford.<\/p>\n

He goes on: \u201cDrugs, unlike nutrients, are loners. They don\u2019t get on so well with other drugs and can cause a lot of collateral damage. Nutrients, on the other hand, usually need to work in teams to have the best effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having turned 60 earlier this year and with a keen interest in the topic, Holford was reminded of one of his teachers, Canadian biochemist and psychiatrist Dr Abram Hoffer, who lived to the age of 91, and despite retiring at 88, continued to advise people about their health until two weeks before his death.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was very careful about what he ate, avoiding sugar and refined foods, and he took a cocktail of vitamins, minerals and essential fats every day,\u201d recalls Holford.<\/p>\n

This lifestyle philosophy is very similar to recent research on the factors that produce telomerase activity, an enzyme that can lengthen telomeres, and has been at the heart of Holford\u2019s optimum nutrition advice for many years. Holford outlines key nutrients associated with slowing down the ageing process:<\/p>\n

\u2022 B Vitamins (especially Folate and B12) linked to lower homocysteine levels.
\u2022 Vitamin C
\u2022 Vitamin D
\u2022 Zinc
\u2022 Magnesium
\u2022 Omega 3 (especially DHA)<\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally, the higher your intake, the longer your telomeres. Also, multivitamin takers have longer telomeres,\u201d says Holford.<\/p>\n

Holford also recommends a number of lifestyle changes to lengthen telomeres:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Exploring delicious recipes from the Mediterranean diet.
\u2022 Incorporating more seeds and nuts into your diet.
\u2022 Plenty of antioxidant rich foods such as onions, beans, berries, green tea and dark chocolate.
\u2022 Regular exercise.
\u2022 Meditation.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember, ageing well shouldn\u2019t become a chore. The whole idea is that the changes you are making should make you feel better now; what you do now will play a big part in what your life is going to be like in 10, 20 or 30 years\u2019 time,\u201d says Holford.<\/p>\n

For further information on anti-ageing, optimum nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle, visit www.holforddirect.co.za.<\/p>\n

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