The tale of telomeres: It's never too late to prevent DNA damage
Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn, says, "Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes ... They are like the tips of shoelaces. If you lose the tips, the ends start fraying." This "fraying" affects your ability to produce more stem cells, which are like mother cells that can turn into any other cell in your body and repair damage to cells or organs as you age. Not something you want to accelerate by making harmful lifestyle choices.
Fortunately, you can help protect your telomeres, so you reduce your risk of premature aging and chronic disease. And as a new lab study presented at the American Physiological Society meeting indicates, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE.
Building on previous research that shows that exercising when you are older can lower your risk of death from cardiovascular disease, researchers found that even if you are age 65-plus, the telomere ends of DNA may be elongated by regular aerobic exercise.
We recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous activities that make you sweat. According to a study in Nature Cell Biology, that can reduce chronic inflammation, help protect your telomeres and lower your risk for age-related diseases, such as dementia, metabolic syndrome and osteoarthritis. (Psst! Other studies indicate engaging in intimacy also lengthens telomeres.)
So, check out Dr. Oz's 9-Step Daily Wellness Routine at iHerb.com to cool inflammation and watch the YouTube video, "Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code with Dr. Michael Roizen" to learn how to become biologically younger and healthier.
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2024 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2024 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
