Can we determine how fast we are aging?

 Can we determine how faster we are aging?

 What is the difference between age and aging?

We see people around us who look a lot younger, or a lot older than their age. So obviously there is a difference in the pace of the aging process in all individuals. Can we determine this by looking at the grey hair, or the wrinkles?

Is our aging normal or more than normal? What are the possible indicators?

Can we assess our aging process by ourselves at home?

Yes, there are some common ways, doctors suggest checking your aging process.

Why do we age?

The very first and obvious outcomes of aging are

o   The calcination (deposition of calcium) in arteries, joints, etc. Tissues and joints get stiff with age.

o   The loss of proteins, and muscle mass, resulting in loss of muscle strength and leading to wrinkles formation. Loss of protein is called sarcopenia. The overall condition of losing organ size because of loss of protein, organelles, fat, etc. is called atrophy. The first muscle to be lost is the muscle from the front part of the thigh.

o   Deterioration of bones. As a result, people get shorter in old age.

Telomere contraction:

·         What are telomeres?

The telomeres are the ends of the chromosomes, present inside all body cells. The chromosomes contain an individual's genetic information, in the form of DNA sequences highly and compactly coiled to make chromosomes. The ends of the chromosomes are protected by a protein called telomeres. The analogy commonly used to explain the telomeres is the ends of the shoe laces, the way they are protected. Exactly the same way the chromosomal DNA is protected against deterioration by these telomeres. There is an enzyme called telomerase enzyme that promotes the synthesis of these telomere proteins.

The normal analogy used to explain telomere contraction and aging is the photocopying of a paper. With every new photocopy, the text gets blurred and blurred, after millions of copies, it may not be seen at all.

The same is the case with human cells. Cells are meant to replicate and multiply as the child grows, when the growth stops body still makes new cells. As different cells in the body have different ages, they need to be replaced. Recovery from disease or healing of wounds also requires cell division.

·         Cellular senescence

The cell’s capability of replicating is known as senescence. It reduces over time as more and more copies of cells are produced. And finally, cellular senescence stops.  

·         How much telomerase does the human body normally produce?

Our body is made up of two types of cells, the normal body cells or somatic cells, that make up all our organs body tissues, bones, muscles nerves, etc.

o   The germ cells are involved in the process of reproduction. These cells are rich in producing the telomerase enzyme.

o   Our normal body cells do not produce telomerase or produce in undetectable levels, but these levels are high in stem cells. Stem cells are the cells that are the precursors to produce blood cells.

o   Cancer cells richly produce these telomerase enzymes.

o   The placental cells in pregnant women also make telomerase as it has to sustain and keep replicating the placental cells, till the end of pregnancy.

How to determine aging by ourselves at home.

All the above-mentioned outcomes of aging lead to specific symptoms

How can we test these symptoms?

o   The aging mainly affects the strength of muscles, muscle mass is not counted. One simple test is to check your muscle strength using the grip of the hand. You can use simple grip strength devices to check your muscle strength.

A normal male must have 66pounds equal to 30 Kg of strength. And a normal female may have a strength of 44 pounds or 20 kg.

o   Second is just to try to get up from the floor. If you have sarcopenia, you may have to push yourself bend and roll over to get up. It will take time and you cannot just stand up in one jerk.

Well, there are some indicators declared by the researchers

 They include the ones given below.

MRI scans

As mentioned the size of the organs diminishes with age because of the loss in mass of proteins, fats, and cell organelles. MRI scans can help determine the size contraction for various organs caused by atrophy, sarcopenia, etc. this can help figure out the aging process of a person.

Another method is to determine the telomere length contraction in individuals to determine age.

Telomere contraction:

The telomere contraction can be measured to give an idea about the aging of a person.

DNA methylation

DNA methylation is a process of the addition of a methyl group -CH₃ to the DNA molecule that naturally occurs and helps turn on or turn off certain genes in our DNA sequence. It explains the changes in physical of cognitive human function with age and learning. The change in genes is the basis for modern epigenetic theory.

These changes can be determined as well LUMA or MRI scans can be used to determine these levels and help determine the age.

How can we increase our longevity?

1.    First thing is to start taking vitamin D supplements. As discussed in detail in one of our previous articles it D importance, vitamin D helps fight sarcopenia.

2.    Resistance training can help strengthen muscles and bones. We have discussed this in detail in one of our previous articles that how putting your muscles, or bones under stress can help revert the aging process.

3.    Telomerase enzymes are available in the market and they are reported to have positive impacts on reversing age.

4.    Folic acid is another important type of amino acid, required for DNA. Its deficiency can cause damage to DNA just like radiation. So take its supplements.

5.    Fasting is a way to increase the production of growth hormones. Secondly, it triggers autophagy, a mechanism that recycles older, less efficient body cells and helps reverse aging.

6.    Keeping your cortisol levels low, means keeping yourself calm and avoiding stress. As stress affects the process of maintaining and repairing body cells. reduce cortisol

7.    Include more proteins in your diet. As discussed before in our article on proteins, it’s mentioned, which protein sources are best in terms of absorption into the bloodstream. 3 eggs a day are the best source, even better than adding synthetic, expensive whey proteins to your diet.   

Which supplements available in the market can help slow down aging is discussed in detail in our article on anti-aging supplements.