TELOMERES

What are they? The caps at the end of our DNA. The perfect example are the lacecaps of our shoes. The longer they are, the more we live. Forget all the other supplements: they encompasse all the prior theories of aging, all the rest ultimately point to the telomeres.

Telomeres have the potential to increase our life-span, more than anything else. By ramping up our cells’ health and longevity we can prevent disease and aging rather than relying on pharmaceutical science. Irrefutable evidence links most of the disease of aging directly or indirectly to telomere length.

I intend to talk quite extensively from now on about them, posting regularly, along with other health issues/supplements.

If we reset telomere lengths in cells or in tissues, we can reverse aging in those cells and tissues. If we understand how to increase the activity of telomerase (the enzyme that makes telomeres grow), we increase their length. For example the positive effects of meditation and stress reduction on telomere length are already very well documented.

But we want to go further, right?

That’s the path we’ll follow together.

We already know we can reverse aging in human cells, we can already reverse aging in simple human tissues: these are FACTS.  

Telomere: the segment of DNA that occurs at the ends of chromosomes.

Telomerase: an enzyme that causes telomeres to lengthen, facilitating cell division and is essential for the immortality of some cells.

DNA is the key. Chromosomes are important to all forms of life, they are found in every living cell of our body. When they stop replicating, we die. When so many of our cells are in a state of senescence the body as a whole will no longer be able to sustain itself. We just die of “old age”.

This could become increasingly avoidable. Maybe some of you have never heard about them: if you like you will read directly from here.

This is merely an introduction. We’ll learn a little bit more next time hopefully together.

To be continued….

Each time chromosomes divide and multiply, instead of losing the DNA that matters, they lose only some of the telomere’s DNA. With every replication of our DNA, part of the telomere sequence is chopped off. This is how nature protects the DNA in a chromosome. Basically, we start to die the day we are conceived: the embryo has about fifteen thousand base pairs in its telomeres, a newborn human approximately ten thousand base pairs. With each cell division, a few base pairs are lost, until the critical limit is reached. In some people this process happens quickly, in others it can take much longer.

Seldomly, a few telomeres become longer, thanks to the telomerase activity. The key to immortality is turning the telomerase gene from off to on.

Nature already does that: it is NOT impossible. In sperm cells, the enzyme telomerase adds telomere DNA back to the cells’ telomeres and keeps those telomeres as long as they have always been. That’s why an eighty year old man can still father children.

Now it should be much clearer how telomeres and telomerase work.

In an ideal world telomeres would shorten slowly and we’d live longer: in our sad reality the food is grown in nutrient-poor soil that contains pesticides and heavy metals from acid rain. Cattle, chickens and other animals are raised in unsanitary conditions, pumped full of hormones and antibiotics.

So, the first hint to preserve your telomeres is to switch to organic food. Although not being perfect is so much better than regular food.

To be continued….

What’s more important than looking fabulous? Staying alive and healthy longer: a long healthy life is accomplished best by those who become and stay fit. Why am I saying this? Because people who exercise vigorously three hours a week are biologically nine years younger than people who exercise less than fifteen minutes a week. Will all the results in between (90 min. a week = 4 yrs advantage).

How does it happen? Repetitive form of exercise leads to an adaptive response. The body begins to build new capillaries, it’s better able to take in and deliver oxygen to our body and another thing that happens is the release of human growth hormone (HGH). Here’s the trick: higher levels of HGH correlate with longer telomeres, that’s why people who regularly exercise look younger. Now you know the reason.

But aerobic exercise is insufficient, unless it’s high-intensity aerobic, because it doesn’t result in the same growth-hormone production as intense physical work do. But doesn’t exercise increase the production of oxidation in our bodies? Yes, it does, and oxidation is the primary toxin to the telomere. It’s just apparently a contradiction. Because our body fights oxidation pretty well when it’s young: the “problem”, so to speak, is when we get old. And why is it not a real problem? Simply because there are plenty of antioxidant supplements around. So you can get the benefits of exercise, benefiting your telomeres as well, regardless of your age.

So, this is my hint: exercise your body, but do NOT stress it. Find your balance avoiding extreme sports: marathons, triathlons, long-distance cycling, violent sports (football, boxing) are activities that will shorten your life span. Exercise too little is damaging (as well as not exercising at all) and is equally damaging exercising too much.

A very damaging conception is that elderly should avoid training regularly (the usual advice doctors give are long, easy walks at best): it’a never too late. On the contrary ,balance is the key, according to your age, because HGH will be produced anyway. Yoga and meditation are completely different matters: they are benefiting your telomeres but of course cannot be considered a form of exercise. I’ll write about them next time.

In the end: what’s the PERFECT exercise for your telomeres? Interval training and resistance training (don’t worry: they’re practiced in all the gyms).

To be continued….

Meditation could be the key to reducing your stress while lengthening your telomeres. The higher the perceived stress, the faster the rate of cellular aging and telomere shortening. It has been determined by measuring the level of chronic stress hormones: cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. The higher the levels, the higher the decline in telomerase activity, increase in oxidation and consequently telomere shortening.

I’m certainly not going to talk about meditation, it’s not up to me, I’m not an expert. But some points have to be highlighted, with reference to prolonging life.

It increases blood flow by dilating blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, increases the serotonin level, improves the efficiency of oxygen consumption, leads to deeper levels of relaxation and consequently deeper sleep, decreases muscle tension, improves the brain’s executive function, increases working memory, produces a state of restful alertness, reduces the thickening of coronary arteries, increases clarity while reducing confusion, loosens the hold of addictions, resolves digestive problems, increases happiness, creates detachment from emotional events, boosts the immune system, lowers LDL cholesterol level, increases brain wave coherence, stimulates the pituitary gland to produce higher levels of DHEA (see my previous post), reduces free radicals, lowers the risk of diabetes, lowers cortisol, boosts endorphins, decreases anxiety and depression, lowers stroke risks, increases the melatonin level (see my previous post) and many, many other benefits.

So, regular meditation increases the level of two important hormones, serotonin and melatonin. While decreases the level of a third, cortisol. Combined, they mean longer telomeres. The key to youth and vitality is not just dealing with your physical body. Your emotional state needs to be taken care as well.

Plus, you are more restful during the day and consequently get more rest and deeper sleep at night. All this adds up to less stress on a cellular level, which means longer telomeres. All combined, you can clearly see how propaedeutic meditation is to increase the telomerase activity.

To be continued….

Now it should be clear what telomeres are. But in practical terms, how can we add years to our life? How are telomeres affected by our lifestyle choices? How can we keep them as longer as possible? If you have read carefully what I’ve written so far, you should know the answer: when cells divide and replicate, we lose telomere length. The real problem arises when we force our cells to do so: to repair damaged tissue and to cope with stresses of ANY kind. It’s as simple as that.

When telomeres are reduced to approximately five thousands base pairs, our cells become senescent and die. For this reason, the maximum life span until now has been 120 years. Are we engineered to that maximum number of years or can we life longer? In theory we could, wherefore smoking, drinking, sleep deprivation, chronic stress, illnesses, hormonal imbalance, sedentary behaviour, obesity, exposure to environmental toxins, injuries of any kind all increase the cellular replicative process, which in turn speeds up telomeres loss.

Just imagine your entire life totally without all those kind of stresses, which is impossible, but just do it: you’ll surely live more than 120 years, won’t you?

Therefore next time I’ll begin to post a list of twenty telomere-friendly foods: controlling free radicals, oxidation, glycation slows down telomere shortening. Maybe I’ll post them in 10 + 10, in order to give proper hints as to all of them. Eating well, getting adequate sleep, exercising regularly, meditating, taking the right supplements accomplishes these things. There is no one single silver bullet but a multitude of good behaviours combined all together.

Let’s be very clear on one point though: being fat is NOT healthy. Period. A “healthy”, just “partially fat”, is pure fantasy you use to justify your bad eating habits. Overloading on calories puts a tremendous strain on your digestive system, causing an increase in inflammation and oxidative stress, accelerating the rate of telomere shortening. Do you want to live longer? Be lean.

For the time being this is the best we can do. Actually there are telomerase activators available on the market but apparently just one is partially working and sold as a specific supplement. Besides it’s very, very expensive (I cannot advertise it here). Our only weapon is prevention in all the various ways I described, particularly in one of my previous posts where they’re all listed.

Remember the three poisons, all equally harmful: alcohol, sugar, tobacco.

To be continued

As promised I’m now going to write about the most telomere-friendly foods, dividing them more or less in half, being in total twenty. Ready? Here we go:

Blueberries - One of the best source of antioxidants. They improve blood flow (benefitting your brain and your heart), fight cholesterol (containing pterostilbene), memory loss and diabetes. A mere half-cup serving has as much antioxidant power as five servings of other fruits and vegetables.

Grapefruit - In particular red grapefruit significantly decreases cholesterol and fight heart disease. It enhances every other health properties of different fruits if eaten together: even accelerating the effects of some prescription drugs. So check with your doctor. This is a very powerful fruit. 

Almonds – A true superfood. A fantastic source of protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and zinc. High in vitamin E and monounsaturated fats to keep your arteries supple.

Apples – They contain quercetin (I dedicated a whole post to this), which prevents oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol lowering the risk of damage to arteries and the risk of heart disease. They also contain pectin, also lowering the levels of blood cholesterol.

Avocados – The best fruit for a healthy heart. Rich in monounsaturated fats, fiber, vitamin E, folic acid and potassium. Most of all the first source of beta-sitosterol (reducing cholesterol) and lutein (an antioxidant that prevents cataracts and prostate cancer).

Beets – With high levels of carotenoids and flavonoids, they reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and one of the richest sources of folic acid. The silica helps the body utilize calcium reducing the risk of osteoporosis. They also have cleansing and detoxifying properties.

Broccoli – In this vegetable there are two powerful anticancer substances: sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol. Sulforaphane destroys ingested carcinogenic compounds and kills the bacteria helicobacter pylori which cause stomach ulcers and gastric cancers. Indole-3-carbinol metabolizes estrogen, protecting against breast cancer. It’s also a good source of beta-carotene and potassium.

Sweet potatoes – A sweet potato is a meal in itself: full of protein, fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin E. Unlike white potatoes they won’t send your blood sugar soaring.

Garlic – Most probably the cancer fighting number one. It has the ability to prevent development of cancers of the breast, colon, skin, prostate, stomach and oesophagus. It stimulates the immune system by encouraging the growth of natural killer cells. It’s also able to destroy the newer super bugs that are resistant to the most powerful antibiotics.

Olive oil – Full of monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. It doesn’t even need to be presented: the secret of the Mediterranean diet itself.

Oranges – Its main flavonoid is hesperetin, which lower rates of heart disease. Hesperetin helps protect against inflammation as well. Oranges are a rich source  of pectin, which lowers cholesterol, and potassium which reduces blood pressure. They are also a rich source of folic acid, which lowers levels of homocysteine.

Wild salmon – It provides an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Here’s the main benefit: high levels of omega-3s have been correlated with telomeres length. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE USE OF FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS.

There are more telomere-friendly foods. I’ll surely talk about them in a future post. I hope you’re liking all the posts I’m dedicating to this particular topic. You can find them all in the “Telomeres” section.

(To be continued)

Here I am again on this topic: let’s finish talking about the telomere-friendly foods, as promised.

Eggs – known as an excellent source of high-quality proteins. But also a good source of selenium, riboflavin, vitamin B12, vitamin D, pantothenic acid, lutein together with zeaxanthin (both so important for our eyes) and choline (a neurotransmitter critical for brain function and health). Just one egg provides 23% of the daily dose of choline. Don’t worry about eggs being dangerous for our cardiovascular system. It’s utterly NOT true.

Tea – black, green and white teas. All of them with cancer inhibiting properties, in particular green tea which is one hundred times more antioxidant than vitamin C. All regular users of tea have a higher bone density.

Tomatoes – contain high levels of lycopene that reduces the risks of prostate and stomach cancers. Cook them, in order to make the lycopene more absorbable.

Meat – ONLY if organic, lean, not processed, not subjected to any drugs, chemicals, hormones and grass-fed meats. Provided these requisites, it’s a very good source of proteins, which are indispensable to keep longer telomeres. But it has to be absolutely pure, without anabolic substances, preservatives or any carcinogenic elements. I highlight: organic! Otherwise just avoid it! We’re genetically adapted to eat meat, it has a positive insulin/glucose response, quite easily digested (IF not  overcooked) and contains zinc, which helps to keep longer telomeres too. My personal note: I understand and like American culture, but using barbecue to cook it is the worst possible method. Ever. Because this method of cooking creates plenty of carcinogenic elements, especially on the surface of the meat. And focus on Bison meat: the best.

Beans – with proteins and complex carbohydrates (the perfect combination), calcium, B vitamins, potassium and magnesium, folic acid, iron. They contain both soluble and insoluble fibers, more than other plants (the soluble fiber helps to reduce cholesterol and normalize blood sugar).

Sea vegetables – also called seaweed. As sea vegetables don’t have roots like other vegetables, they must absorb all nutrients from the ocean water, becoming the richest source of minerals. Dark sea vegetables are particularly important because contain sodium alginate, which converts heavy metals present in our bodies into sea salt (look for arame, wakame, hijiki), then urinated. They also all contain iodine, which helps in weight loss. The most rich in proteins is the “nori” variety (very rich in vitamin K too, which keeps calcium into our bones and not in our blood). Instead of using salt, try using a powder of dried sea vegetables: much healthier and tastier. Even a seaweed salad is the perfect one on its own!

Cabbage – particularly interesting because it stimulates the immune system, kills bacteria and viruses (very helpful during the winter), has a wide variety of anticancer properties: e.g. just eating cabbage once a week inhibits colon cancer by 60%.  Stabilizes hormone levels. Moreover, if eaten raw it contains vitamin U, which protects against stomach ulcers.

Kale – which has even more medicinal qualities than cabbage. It protects against many cancer forms but also against heart diseases. It has a very high content of calcium, so high that just eating kale is enough to protect yourself against osteoporosis and arthritis.

These are some of the best foods to keep your telomeres healthier and longer. This post and the previous one were not meant to be dedicated to antioxidants in general (of course all very helpful to protect your telomeres), or to particular so-called superfoods (like goji e.g.). Next time I’ll give more tips on general rules to be followed on our daily eating habits to preserve telomeres.

To be continued

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