Certain nutrients and bioactives help protect telomere length, according to a recent review.
With the recent surge of interest in telomere shortening as an underlying cause of aging, it’s no wonder scientists are enthusiastically researching how diet and lifestyle can influence telomere length. Now, Ligi Paul, Ph.D., of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, has reviewed the latest literature associating telomere length with nutrients, bioactive compounds, and lifestyle factors.
Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes from fusing with each other, Dr. Paul reminds us, and their length is an indicator of biological aging. Although shortening is a normal part of aging, oxidative stress and inflammation can speed up the process of telomere shortening.
“Of interest to nutritionists, telomere length has been shown to be associated with nutritional status in human and animal studies. Healthy lifestyles and diets are positively correlated with telomere length,” Dr. Paul wrote.
Find out which nutrients are key to your telomere length by reading the rest of the article on IsagenixHealth.net here.