We all want to live longer while staying active, independent and full of energy. The key to both: Nurturing telomeres, tiny cellular structures essential to healthy aging. Located on the tips of DNA strands, telomeres defend cells against aging and help tissues regenerate and repair. And Danish research reveals keeping telomeres in tip-top shape optimizes energy, muscle strength and mobility. While telomeres shorten over time, you can keep them long and healthy. Keep reading to find out how!
How to protect your telomeres for healthy aging
While shorter telomeres can accelerate aging, keeping them longer helps you stay healthy for decades to come. Here’s how to do it:
Nosh on nuts and seeds
Good news for women who love snacking on almonds, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds: In research conducted at Brigham Young University, folks who enjoyed 1 oz. (about a handful) of the crunchy gems daily had telomeres that were substantially longer than those who ate lower amounts. Study authors credit the fiber and unsaturated fats found in nuts and seeds with taming the inflammation that’s a major cause of telomere shortening.
Take a green tea break
Compounds called catechins that abound in the brew combat a process known as oxidative stress that takes a damaging toll on telomeres. So say Korean scientists, whose study found telomeres were longer in participants who sipped a cup of green tea each day.
Tip: To boost the healthy aging benefits, add a squeeze of lemon. Purdue University experts determined that lemon juice increased absorption of green tea’s catechins by up to 98 percent.
Lace up your sneakers
FatCamera
And head out for a walk. According to findings in the Journal of Sports Science, walking has a powerful ability to fend off premature telomere shortening and promote healthy aging. In fact, folks who walked for 30 minutes five times per week on a regular basis had telomeres so much longer than their sedentary counterparts, they slowed their biological aging by more than seven years. Even brief bouts of exercise increase the activity of telomerase, an enzyme that’s crucial to maintaining telomere length.
Take a multivitamin
Findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveal taking a daily multivitamin supplement or gummy protects telomeres so effectively, it reduces the rate at which they shorten by 9.8 years. Experts explain that vitamins such as C, E and B-12 in multis combat a process known as oxidative stress, which lowers telomerase activity and damages telomeres.
More tips for healthy aging
Keeping your telomeres long and strong is a great start toward healthy aging. But they’re not the only things you can do to feel your best. Here’s how to combat common age-related bothers:
Stop middle age spread with a pre-meal ritual
So many of us battle an expanding waistline after age 50. Fortunately, you can trim up to 17 pounds off your waist and hips on any healthy eating plan just by dialing down your production of the stress hormone cortisol.
The reason? Cortisol encourages tissues to slow their calorie burn so they can store as much fat as possible. But as levels of this stress hormone drop, fat-burning metabolism soars. A simple way to destress: Take three minutes before each meal to breathe slowly and deeply, letting your belly expand and contract with each breath. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital say this simple trick can cut diet-sabotaging cortisol production by as much as 33 percent.
Protect your heart by reading
Kathrin Ziegler
Knitting, scrapbooking, reading, painting—whatever hobby you truly enjoy, carving out at least 30 minutes daily to indulge yourself can keep your heart young and strong, cutting your risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 50 percent, suggests a study out of the University of Illinois.
Turns out the calm, happy feeling that you get when you’re immersed in a hobby activates a series of nerves that lower blood pressure and boost nutrient-rich blood flow to the heart. More good news: Those daily doses of contentment also energize liver cells, increasing their production of healthy, artery-clearing HDL cholesterol by 10 percent.
Keep skin smooth by savoring sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes boast rich stores of carotenoids. These plant compounds soak easily into skin cells, where they break down tissue-aging free radicals, reduce damaging inflammation and provide a natural shield against UV light, report researchers in the journal Molecules.
More good news: Carotenoids also turn back the clock by encouraging the repair and replacement of collagen, elastin and other supportive tissues. Enjoy 3/4 cup daily, and experts say you’ll cut your risk of fine lines, wrinkles, sagging and other signs of skin aging by as much as 69 percent.
Reduce osteoporosis risk by napping
Not keen on jogging, powerlifting or other tough, bone-building workouts? Stretch out and take a nap instead! Research published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that just getting 7 to 8 hours of Zzzs nightly (or catching up with leisurely catnaps if your nighttime sleep is often cut short) could cut your risk of bone thinning and osteoporosis by as much as 65 percent. Scientists say your body repairs and replaces aging bone cells while you sleep, and the improvements can start within 24 hours of that first blissful snooze.
For more healthy aging tips:
Ways to Strengthen Your Bones and Prevent Osteoporosis Without Breaking a Sweat
A Doctor Reveals the Early Signs of Dementia in Women You Shouldn’t Ignore
Experts Share 6 Easy Brain-Boosting, Memory-Enhancing Tips You’ll Want to Try!
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
link