As we age, we are at increased risk of suffering from conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, skin ageing and blindness. Which diseases we might suffer is a balance between our individual genetic predisposition and our environmental exposure. These diseases all commonly affect the quality of our life, but are they unrelated and inevitable? To understand this, we first need to know a little more about the ageing process.

The mechanism underpinning the ageing process is attributable to the production of highly reactive molecules (free radicals) that oxidise or damage components of cells, causing them to malfunction. Over time, these damaged cells accumulate, leading to age-related diseases depending on your genetic predisposition. But are our bodies really just like old cars rusting away?

The difference between young and old cells is actually a change in their gene expression. The DNA (genetic blueprint) in each cell is arranged within 46 chromosomes which contain all our genes. The telomere is a long piece of DNA at the end of each chromosome. Every time a cell divides, it loses a small piece of the telomere. As the telomere shortens in length, the cell effectively ages. This reduction in length changes the gene expression, altering the proteins that are made by the telomere. The telomere proteins then affect the expression of other genes throughout the rest of the chromosome. The telomere is the key to the altering pattern of gene expression in the ageing process.

To understand its consequence, we need to recognise that our bodies are continually being damaged. Most of this damage comes from the process of living, breathing and being active, all of which produce free radicals as a by-product of producing energy. It is these free radicals that can damage proteins, fats and even the DNA within each cell through a process called oxidation. Additional damage can come from exposure to environmental toxins, such as smoke or alcohol, which also cause free radical production. But a body is not like a car that rusts over time. A body starts life continually and actively repairing and renewing itself. It replaces damaged structures or molecules. Ageing occurs as the body gradually stops repairing itself. This is a result of the change in gene expression as a consequence of the reduction in the telomere length.

Most chronic diseases can be traced back to a failure of repair and the accumulation of damage in rapidly dividing cells. For example, in heart disease, it is the cells lining the vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood that get damaged. They divide, repair and age until they gradually fail to repair themselves effectively and the disease process, atherosclerosis, or thickening of the arteries, starts to develop. What’s more, risk factors for heart disease, like smoking, speed up the ageing process by increasing the free-radical damage of the endothelial cells.

To live younger, we need to consider the strategies we could adopt to slow down or even prevent the ageing process. We could reduce our exposure to oxidative damage from free radicals. We could to try to make sure we are able to cope with the free radicals that cause the oxidative damage by ensuring a rich supply of antioxidants. Or we could attempt to alter the telomeric gene expression, so our body keeps itself young. This would seem like the ideal solution: for the body to continue to repair itself as it does in childhood. It might also seem like the stuff of science fiction, but it’s not. We already have the technology to take old cells and rejuvenate them into fully functioning and normal ‘young’ ones in the lab. By introducing a gene that increases the telomere length the cell aging process can be reversed. Trials for some specific human diseases are likely to be undertaken within the next five years. In the future we may find ways of doing this to a whole person.

Between now and the time that science fiction and modern medicine meet, we are left with the first two options: reducing our exposure to oxidative damage and/or trying to assist the body in mopping up the free radicals that occur.

Reducing the quantity of free radicals produced from day-to-day living can be achieved by lowering our calorie intake. There is some evidence to support the view that calorie reduction can increase longevity, though most of us might question the quality of life this option leaves us with. It is also possible to reduce exposure by avoiding environmental pollutants, such as tobacco smoke, harsh sunlight or excessive alcohol intake. Finally, it is important to exercise, but in moderation: 20-60 minutes a day. Long bouts of intensive exercise produce a lot of free radicals. This may explain why some athletes look older than their years, in the same way a smoker might. Both result from oxidative damage to the skin.

Assisting your body in coping with the free radicals it encounters means ensuring that you obtain sufficient amounts of antioxidants. Whilst vitamins E and C are well known ones, they are just two of hundreds that occur naturally. Your best source of these antioxidants is vegetables, berries and fruits. So it will come as no surprise that a high-quality diet is essential. Today, however, even with the strongest will, getting all you require from a good diet is unlikely, not least because the vitamin and mineral content of many foods has dropped by 10-30%. In America, the FDA recommends a daily multivitamin for adults. A good multivitamin (including B vitamins and folate) and an antioxidant will help you manage free radicals. Research shows that people with higher intakes of antioxidants have a reduced incidence of cancer, heart attack and stroke.

It is also essential to ensure you consume sufficient omega 3 essential fats. The best source is from oily fish. Our intake of this fat has fallen over the last 50 years and there has been a dramatic increase in the intake of omega 6 fats, altering the natural balance. Omega 3 fats are required to maintain a healthy heart, joints and brain.

The UK government recommends that the intake of fresh fish should be limited to three portions a week due to concerns over heavy metal contamination. For omega 3, I believe a purified supplement is crucial to good health both in adults and children.

Finally, to live young, you need to stay mentally active as well as physically fit. Exercising the body and mind, together with a good diet and a little nutritional support, will go along way to helping you live younger, until such time as molecular genetics open the door to a new elixir.

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