Dealing with aging positively

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Disease and disability were once considered an inevitable part of growing older, but that is no longer true. According to Dr N Kumaranayake, a Clinical Psychiatrist at Government Base Hospital, Kiribathgoda and Lecturer in Child Psychology and Psychiatry, simply changing one's diet and lifestyle, and by taking the select few over-the-counter supplements, one can slow or stop the shortening of telomeres, prevent many of the common diseases associated with old age and thus stay young much longer.

The Telomeres Theory of aging - a new theory of aging - is offering many possibilities for the field of anti-aging medicine. It was first discovered by a group of scientists at the Geron Corporation in Menlo Park, California. Telomeres are sequences of nucleic acids extending from the ends of chromosomes.

With age, telomeres shorten, making cells and humans more susceptible to disease. Short telomeres, are associated with osteoporosis, heart failure, cancer, hypertension, dementia, vision loss by macular degeneration, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease, which might be prevented or markedly delayed by keeping one's telomeres intact.

"Researchers have found that exercise can help keep DNA healthy and young. A study published in the Science Advances, found that just moderate-intensity physical activity helps hold back cell aging," said Dr Kumaranayake.

Studies indicate that restoring low vitamin D levels to normal, slows down genetic-related aging, explained Dr Kumaranayake. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with many age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and strokes. An intake of 1000-2500mg a day of Omega 3 fats can also prevent premature aging. It improves longevity and prevents diseases like Alzheimer's.

Psychological stress was linked with higher oxidative stress and shorter telomere length. Lack of social support was associated with shorter telomeres in a study of older adults. Men tend to have shorter telomeres than women, probably because they burn them faster by being more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, poor diet, and excessive alcohol consumption. Women are slower at burning telomeres, which may in part explain why, on average, they live about four to five years longer than men.

Dr Kumaranayake added that people with greater educational attainment have increased telomeres length, which could be because they are less worried about becoming unemployed, or because they learned stress-coping mechanisms during their years of learning.