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Healthy Ageing is something we all desire. With advancements in medical science and the eradication of many infectious diseases, human life expectancy has increased significantly over the last century. In the UK, the average lifespan for women and men is almost 83 years and 79 years respectively. Impressively, the number of people living to one hundred has doubled since 2004. But sadly, with chronic diseases on the rise, many people are living a considerable proportion of these additional years in poor health.
In this article, we’ll look at how you can maximise healthy ageing and not by simply increasing the number of years on this planet, but by ensuring these are healthy years, too.
Why do Bodies Age?
The ageing process has fascinated scientists for decades. An understanding of the factors behind ageing could be used to help people live longer in optimum health. Although genes do influence the ageing process, their environment has a far greater effect. This means how rapidly people age can look different, depending on their lifestyle and nutritional choices.
Cells show signs of ageing due to a number of processes all working in tandem. Let’s have a look at some of these now.
- Cell Senescence
This is the term used for old and worn-out cells. They’re unable to function as they should, and they can’t reproduce. However, a bit like zombies, they refuse to die. Instead, they release inflammatory chemicals as a kind of alarm signal. In turn, these substances harm other cells, causing them to become senescent, too.
Ideally, your immune system would detect and destroy these senescent cells. However, with age, it becomes less able to do this, and zombie cells accumulate. The more senescent cells you have, the more likely you are to suffer from age-related diseases like cardiovascular issues or Alzheimer’s disease.
Cells can become senescent due to DNA damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, or even viruses.
Cell senescence is also caused by inefficient autophagy. This is the name given for the spring-cleaning process the body uses to clear away damaged cells.
- Reduced Cell Energy
Cells produce energy in the power plants of their nuclei, called mitochondria. If these become less effective at creating energy, a condition known as mitochondrial dysfunction occurs. This can set the stage for the types of chronic diseases associated with older age. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in the ageing process.
- Impaired Nutrient Sensing
Nutrient sensors are types of proteins. They react to the presence of nutrients like other proteins, calories, and sugar. Nutrient sensors influence the levels of various hormones. These in turn affect autophagy, blood glucose levels, and energy production.
Reducing stimulation to some of these nutrient sensors may encourage cellular repair. One promising area of research in this area concerns time restricted eating. This is, in other words, eating within a specific time window each day. Eating this way appears to encourage autophagy and protect against damage to cellular DNA.
Simple Strategies to Turn Back Time
The exciting news is, you have more control over the ageing process than you might have imagined. Adopting lifestyle habits to improve autophagy and reduce cell senescence can help keep cells operating optimally.
- Prioritise Sleep
Sleep is your body’s chance to recuperate. Insufficient sleep boosts inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction and cell senescence, all promoters of healthy ageing. Establishing a regular bedtime and waking up time is correlated with better health markers and increased healthspan.
- Move Regularly
Exercise has been found to lead to a measurable increase in brain volume (1). Regular exercise is linked with fewer senescent cells, too, and can help support balance and flexibility into older age.
- Manage Your Stress
Stress is the enemy of good health at any age. Hormones released in response to stress boost inflammation and oxidative cell damage. Stress also shortens the protective caps on the ends of DNA strands, a key marker of ageing.
- Enjoy More Plants
Research discovered people who habitually ate a Mediterranean style diet had brains similar to people five years younger (2). Phytonutrients in plants help reduce oxidative stress and therefore cell senescence.
Aim to consume a range of different coloured plant foods, because each pigment is made up of slightly different phytonutrients. Eating plenty of plants also ensures a good intake of fibre to keep your digestive system happy. Your gut plays a key role in managing inflammation. Bear in mind a Mediterranean diet contains ample omega 3 fats, known to help protect brain health.
- Don’t Eat Around the Clock
When your body goes without food, it has a chance to do some cellular spring cleaning. Reducing your eating window by cutting out late-night snacks is a simple way to practice time-restricted eating, as you’ll be naturally fasting as you slumber. If your stomach isn’t busy digesting food at night, you’ll sleep better, too.
Help and Support for Healthy Ageing
It’s no use living a long life if the extra years are dominated by illness, restricted mobility, or reliant on medical drugs.
If you’re interested in maximising your health into older age, the good news is small dietary and lifestyle changes can yield lasting results. The beauty of Integrative Medicine with the Forbes Clinic is the suite of therapies at our fingertips. If stress is a factor in your life, you may benefit from psycho-emotional support such as Emotional Freedom Technique. However, if oxidative stress and inflammation is affecting your cellular functioning, a consultation with a Functional Nutritional Therapist can align your diet with your health goals.
A great starting point is an Integrative Health Assessment, a thorough investigation into your health history, symptoms and health goals. Identifying and addressing the root causes of your body’s imbalances will help you maintain vitality into older age.
Maximize your longevity by contacting us today.
