In a breakthrough study published last month, Dean Ornish, founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, found comprehensive lifestyle changes, including a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as regular stress reducing techniques (like yoga and meditation), were shown to reverse signs of aging at a cellular level.
When the 35 men in the study, published last month in the Lancet Medical Journal, focused on eating a diet of unprocessed foods and committed to moderate exercise and stress management over a five year period, they increased the length of their telomeres, the ends of chromosomes linked to aging.
According to the Genetic Science Learning Center, “telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces because they prevent chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other. Each time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. When they get too short, the cell no longer can divide and it becomes inactive or dies. This is why telomeres are sometimes compared with a bomb fuse.”
Dr. Ornish and his colleague, Nobel prize winner, Elizabeth Blackburn, began the research on the assumption that if something can be made shorter, perhaps it can be made longer again, as well.
So they began studying telomerase, otherwise known as the “immortality enzyme,” which prevents telomeres from being shaved off.
According to Dr. Ornish, the diet of the lifestyle change study group was largely a whole foods, plant-based regimen of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, with few refined carbohydrates, but it was not a strictly vegetarian or vegan diet.
In addition to the whole foods diet, the participants in the Ornish study:
According to geneticist Richard Cawthon at the University of Utah, shorter telomeres are associated with shorter lives. People over 60, with shorter telomeres, are three times more likely to die from heart disease and eight times more likely to die from infectious disease.
What might clarify this study is the two known factors that contribute greatly to the shortening of telomeres:
Oxidative Stress – Oxidants are highly reactive substances that damage DNA, proteins and lipids. A result of inflammation, infection, poor diet, and exposure to pollutants, alcohol and cigarettes, oxidants are a major contributor to aging and to degenerative diseases. In one study, scientists exposed worms to two substances that neutralize oxidants, the worms’ lifespan increased by an average 44%. This is why here at THN we recommend that is important for you include Antioxidant Support in your daily supplementation.
Glycation – According to Genetic Science Learning Center, when you have a diet high in sugar, glucose sugar binds to some of your DNA, proteins and lipids, leaving them unable to do their jobs. As we age, this causes body tissues to malfunction, resulting in disease and death. This may explain why studies in various laboratory animals indicate that restricting calorie intake extends lifespan.
We all get older, but with vigilance in how we nourish ourselves, we can live longer, healthier lives. Here at THN, we are committed that you do just that. Because your good and long life…is our business.
Please note: The information provided here is for information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your doctor. You should not use this information for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem. You should consult with your doctor before starting any diet, exercise, or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have a health problem.
When the 35 men in the study, published last month in the Lancet Medical Journal, focused on eating a diet of unprocessed foods and committed to moderate exercise and stress management over a five year period, they increased the length of their telomeres, the ends of chromosomes linked to aging.
According to the Genetic Science Learning Center, “telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces because they prevent chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other. Each time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. When they get too short, the cell no longer can divide and it becomes inactive or dies. This is why telomeres are sometimes compared with a bomb fuse.”
Dr. Ornish and his colleague, Nobel prize winner, Elizabeth Blackburn, began the research on the assumption that if something can be made shorter, perhaps it can be made longer again, as well.
So they began studying telomerase, otherwise known as the “immortality enzyme,” which prevents telomeres from being shaved off.
According to Dr. Ornish, the diet of the lifestyle change study group was largely a whole foods, plant-based regimen of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, with few refined carbohydrates, but it was not a strictly vegetarian or vegan diet.
In addition to the whole foods diet, the participants in the Ornish study:
- Walked briskly 1 hour, 6 days per week
- Participated in a 1 hour support group weekly
- Practiced 1 hour of a stress reduction technique daily (yoga and/or meditation) See our recent article on Tai Chi for another great daily stress busting routine.
According to geneticist Richard Cawthon at the University of Utah, shorter telomeres are associated with shorter lives. People over 60, with shorter telomeres, are three times more likely to die from heart disease and eight times more likely to die from infectious disease.
What might clarify this study is the two known factors that contribute greatly to the shortening of telomeres:
Oxidative Stress – Oxidants are highly reactive substances that damage DNA, proteins and lipids. A result of inflammation, infection, poor diet, and exposure to pollutants, alcohol and cigarettes, oxidants are a major contributor to aging and to degenerative diseases. In one study, scientists exposed worms to two substances that neutralize oxidants, the worms’ lifespan increased by an average 44%. This is why here at THN we recommend that is important for you include Antioxidant Support in your daily supplementation.
Glycation – According to Genetic Science Learning Center, when you have a diet high in sugar, glucose sugar binds to some of your DNA, proteins and lipids, leaving them unable to do their jobs. As we age, this causes body tissues to malfunction, resulting in disease and death. This may explain why studies in various laboratory animals indicate that restricting calorie intake extends lifespan.
We all get older, but with vigilance in how we nourish ourselves, we can live longer, healthier lives. Here at THN, we are committed that you do just that. Because your good and long life…is our business.
Please note: The information provided here is for information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your doctor. You should not use this information for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem. You should consult with your doctor before starting any diet, exercise, or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have a health problem.
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