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The Science Behind Longevity: What You Need to Know

The Science Behind Longevity: What You Need to Know

by Pooja Ramakrishnan in News

Introduction

A long life span is dependent on many overlapping factors, most of which are not really in our control. But, what about those factors that we can control? We should technically be able to influence them, in subtle ways which can help us live healthier, longer lives. Research shows that some of those factors include lifestyle and the environment a person lives in. Most of the traits related to aging have been decided beforehand, because it is heavily dependent on genes which dictate all cellular processes. 

What Research Says About Living Longer

Aging is a process that involves the genes heavily, so if you have won good genes in the genetic lottery, you are more likely to live healthier for longer, as compared to someone who may suffer from a chronic illness and pass on those mutated genes to their progeny. The easiest way to understand how much the landscape of aging has changed over the last half century is to look at the lifespan of people all over the world- it has increased drastically from the late 40s to over 65 years of age. This has been attributed to nations being at peace, not having wars and having enough resources for food, research and healthcare respectively. Humans in general can live for about 120 years of age, and this is the maximum number according to the information our genes give us. Some people have probably lived for longer but they may have been exceptional in a few ways. The focus now is on how to age better, while understanding epigenetic cues. A good example is this- most of us have genes for hypertension or prediabetes, but if you follow a relatively active lifestyle and don't eat too much of junk, then you are at lower risk of developing such chronic conditions. This is the epigenetics theory- where other influences are thought to be just as important as genes themselves. 

Latest scientific findings on life extension have shown that if we can try to find some way for telomerases to act slower than usual, the telomere of chromosomes stay on for longer and a person is able to age better. Telomeres naturally have the tendency to get shorter as we age, but with a poor lifestyle and too much stress, we can accelerate this process. The DNA present in all cells undergoes major changes- called mutations that are no longer repaired or taken care of properly- causing the aging process to move forward quickly. Research has shown that there are 9 hallmarks of aging that are known- each of these hallmarks are specific pathways or processes that regulate the process of aging altogether. Older populations present in blue zones have also been studied in detail and scientists have been able to pinpoint to a few genes which determine longevity. What we hope to do is tweak these longevity genes by working on making proper lifestyle choices- this itself is enough for improving healthspan and consecutive lifespan of an individual. 

Conclusion

Extensive research on longevity has shown that eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, prioritising sleep and de-stressing regularly can greatly help kick start recovery pathways in the body. Intermittent fasting increases the activity of guardian proteins called sirtuins- which help cells stay healthy in the long term. Eating less means more sirtuin activation, which can also be achieved by taking specific supplements designed for this very purpose. Sirtuins get activated mainly during times of stress- like starvation, extreme weather and similar instances. The bottom line is- if you focus on 3 main areas- diet, exercise and reducing stress, you can influence the hallmarks of aging enough to slow them down. 

FAQs

1. What are the key scientific factors that contribute to longevity?

Not exposing yourself to harmful substances like alcohol and tobacco, eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses, spices and other components on a daily basis, getting some exercise everyday and sleeping for at least 8 hours a night are the requisites for longevity and health. 

2. How do genetics play a role in how long we live?

A quarter of how we age is heavily dependent on our genes- those which we inherit from our parents. Next comes environmental factors and what you are exposed to or have to deal with in life and the last is lifestyle related components like sanitation, if you have access to medical care and what your standard of living is. 

3. What recent scientific breakthroughs have been made in extending human lifespan?

The current lifespan for a seemingly normal individual is 71 years old, which is the global average. In India, it is about 68-70 years old. Senolytics are being studied extensively for their ability to influence aging related processes and increase healthspan and lifespan. Gene therapy is also being studied to help people deal with diseases caused by point mutations. 

4. What role does diet play in scientific studies on longevity?

A healthy diet rich in colourful, fresh fruits and vegetables means you will get plenty of antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory compounds into your system. Fibre is good for the gut and to keep things moving. Fibre also helps in regulating blood glucose levels, which means it also helps you metabolically in the long term. Good sources of fats and carbohydrates help provide energy perpetually to the cells working day and night in your body. Protein helps in repair and in various synthetic reactions. All of these when taken together help cells age better, work better and improve health expectations. Such foods are commonly called ‘superfoods’. 

5. What are the common traits of populations that live the longest?  

If you mostly eat a lot of plant based products and fermented items, eat good quality meat and protein, ghee and get other fats from proper sources which have NOT been ultra-processed, exercise everyday and if you drink or smoke very less, manage to sleep well most nights and like hanging out with other human beings, you will generally live longer than an average human being who does not eat well, sleep well and drinks or smokes a lot.

 

Tags: Longevity
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