…although our cells age, they retain within them all the tools to become young again, which is fascinating.
Dr. Donna Brown
Is it possible to slow down aging? Maybe even reverse it?
Inevitable? Maybe Not…
We have always thought of aging as an inevitable part of life. We are born, and if we are lucky, we live a long life where we get to watch ourselves deteriorate. Our skin will wrinkle, and our joints will become painful and arthritic. We will become forgetful or eventually battle some dreaded disease. After all, the single most significant risk factor for all types of cancer is merely aging. But what if it were not inevitable. What if we really could stop aging or at least slow it down so that we could extend our vibrant, healthy years and lessen our suffering, so we could spend more time with our loved ones and remain vital. This may not be as unattainable as we once thought.
It Starts in the Cells
Researchers at labs at Harvard, MIT, and most of the finest universities in the world have been working on aging for many decades, trying to get to the root cause, the upstream reason for all the varied results of aging. And their findings are quite astounding. As it turns out, aging begins at the cellular level, and the state of health in your cells will ultimately determine how you will age. Aging is the result of DNA damage in the nuclei of the cells. It is also due to the accumulation of debris inside the cells, which causes them to behave erratically and die off. Sometimes our cells stop functioning, and instead of dying, they build up in our tissues secreting highly inflammatory compounds that lead to accelerated aging.
Epigenetics
Scientists have been studying our genes and how they function and respond to insults over time. They have been able to determine that our genes are controlled through a very complex mechanism called epigenetics. Epigenetics is what externally turns genes on or off. Picture your genes as the keys on a piano. Epigenetics determines how the notes are played and whether they are played at all. We have control over how our genes are expressed and how they are silenced. This means you are not destined by your genetics.
Since aging is determined at the cellular level, healthy cell metabolism and repair are crucial for a long, disease-free life. The best news is that scientists have begun to understand the ways we can intervene, and they’re becoming more clearly understood by the day. We also know now that cells extracted from an older body can be cloned and can make a young person. This means that although our cells age, they retain within them all the tools to become young again, which is fascinating. Scientists have determined that we can have control over many of these aging forces buy altering the amount we eat, when we eat, how we exercise, and the specific supplements take. It’s an exciting time to be alive!
I will be holding a Health Talk on this topic in the very near future. I will expand upon these findings and developments, and show you how you can take steps right now to slow down and even reverse aging. Watch for announcements.
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About the Author
Dr. Donna Brown
A graduate of New York Chiropractic College, Dr. Donna M. Brown has nearly 35 years of clinical experience. She has a vast amount of knowledge and experience in the area of nutritional therapy and integrative health care. She provides both chiropractic care, including treatment of sports injuries, nutritional therapy as well as health coaching, in which she personally guides her patients to improved and sustainable health.