CAUSES OF AGING
Factors in Aging
Aging is caused by a combination of factors:
- Levels of Toxins in the body
- Cell Nutrition
- Physical Activity
- Emotional State
- Genetic Influences
- Environmental Factors
- Behavioural Factors
Theories of Aging
How we age has support of two main theories:
- Genetic Theory [Stochastic Theory]
- proposes that aging results from genetically programmed
changes regulated by the immune system and thymus
gland. The thymus gland rapidly withers after adolescence
to 10-20% of its size at birth by the time a person
is 45 years old. By the time people are 60, thymic
hormones can no longer be detected in the blood.
- Free Radical Theory - proposes
that aging results from changes in the information
that is provided by the cell nucleus during normal
cell function. An accumulation of genetic errors due
to environmental damage in turn results in changes
in DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid--the molecule that carries
the genetic code of a cell), resulting in cell mutations
and malfunctioning. Cancer cells are a typical example.
We cannot do much about our inborn genetics, other
than be aware of any weaknesses we may have inherited
and mitigate them as much as possible, but we can certainly
take influence environmental factors.
Secondary theories that have spurned from the above
include:
- Caloric Restriction Theory - related
to the Free Radical Theory. The lowest morality rates
are in those with a body mass index (BMI) in the range
of 21 to 22.
- The Hormonal Theory - replacement
of these hormones may prevent the aging process.
Among the hormones under study are: DHEA, melatonin,
testosterone, and estrogen. Currently insufficient
evidence to support this theory, but that does not
invalidate it.
- Personal Attributes Theory –
a Boston study demonstrated that certain personal
attributes were common to those who survived longer
than average. These include low levels of depression,
obesity, excess alcohol, and smoking
coupled with high levels of stress
coping ability, use of humour, intellectual stimulation
and social interaction and support
Internal Aging Forces
- Genetic programming
- Protein damage and decreased protein turnover
- Neuro-hormonal disregulation
- Glycation
- Mitochondrial damage
- Damage to lipid fats
- Oxidative stress
- DNA damage and faulty DNA repair. Alterations in
gene expression
External Forces
- Social adaptive lifestyles – developing the
wrong habits such as smoking,
poor eating habits, drug usage.
- Environmental - toxins,
stressful living or working environments
- Income restraints on capability to provide sufficient
nutrition
Normal Cell Function and Free Radicals
As part of normal metabolism, human cells produce
chemically reactive substances called
free radicals.
Free radicals are highly
toxic and can damage delicate cellular elements, such
as membrane fats and genetic materials. It is held that
these free radicals are responsible for a number of
age-related illnesses
and diseases, including cancer
and arthritis.
However, the damage produced by free
radicals is so widespread that it suggests there
are some yet undefined intermediates that may cause
specific damage to genes and to DNA. So, although compelling
evidence suggests that aging is genetically determined,
no one yet knows for sure how this happens. However,
environmental factors
seem to accelerate the process.
The Influence of Genetics on Aging
Even in the best of environmental conditions, various
species of animals and plants mature, grow old, and
die at widely differing rates. Identical twins show
much more closely correlated longevity than fraternal
twins, and females outlive males.
Environmental Factors That Modify Aging
Genetic influences may have more impact than environmental
factors, but the environment determines the aging experience.
Improvements in nutrition and sanitation and the decrease
of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, gastroenteritis,
typhoid fever, and cholera have played a significant
role.
A person's lifestyle
is an important factor in how we age. Not smoking,
moderation in alcohol intake, adequate exercise
and rest, a diet high in fibre content, effectively
handling stress,
and a positive outlook have all been suggested as a
means to better health and longevity.
Principle Attributes that Accelerate Aging
In summary, all these theories combined allow us to
conclude some important antiaging principles:
- Manage the mind:body connection
- Avoid toxins which overtax the body, and divert
the body’s processes from normal functions to
detoxification functions
- Nourish cells to ensure healthy operation and replication
- Reduce cellular damage, thereby preventing prevent
diseases
- Avoid life threatening build up of fat around essential
body organs
- Avoid aging caused by diuse
- Reverse signs of aging through boosting the bodies
own processes or by cosmetic intervention.
To find out how to incorporate these principles into
your life, read more on antiaging
methods.
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