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Aging is inevitable, but does this mean that there is nothing that can be done to slow down the process? Are there ways to age in which the body doesn’t experience the full detrimental effects associated with aging? Studies suggest that there may be ways to slow down the aging process and promote health well into the twilight years of life.
Aging is a natural process that involves an increase in the degeneration of the restorative cellular processes of the body. On the molecular level, this means that cells and tissues lose their integrity and can no longer regenerate or replenish properly. This loss of cellular integrity leads to an impairment in the body's overall functioning. From hair and skin to joints and muscles, the aging process affects the body as a whole.
Visible signs of aging include dull skin, thinning skin, wrinkles, and gray hair, but there are also signs of aging deep within the body. These signs include loss of joint cartilage, less muscle mass, and brain volume loss.
But what causes aging? Studies suggest that aging is multi-factorial. Some of the mechanisms that may contribute to aging include oxidative stress, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, mitochondrial damage, and shortening of the telomeres. While the aging process is inevitable, research suggests that the aging process can be slowed down or delayed by increasing antioxidant intake, maintaining mitochondrial health, and reducing inflammation.
Research indicates that oxidative stress plays a huge role in the aging process. Oxidative stress is a disturbance between the balance of antioxidants and free radicals. Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules that have an uneven pair of electrons. Electrons are tiny, negatively charged particles that like to be in pairs. Free radicals have uneven pairings of electrons, which causes them to be extremely unstable. This instability causes damage throughout the body in cells, tissues, proteins, and DNA.
Rather than being outside invaders, free radicals are created during the normal metabolic processes of the body contributing to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been linked to many different diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic kidney diseases, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
While playing a role in the development of many chronic diseases, research suggests that oxidative stress may also increase frailty and sarcopenia associated with aging. Sarcopenia is the steady loss of muscle mass and function that often occurs as an individual ages.
Studies show that antioxidants may help to reduce oxidative stress and therefore slow the aging process. Antioxidants are molecules that may prevent or diminish the damage of oxidative stress by donating an electron to free radicals. This electron donation helps to stabilize free radicals and prevent damage to cells and tissues.
Types of antioxidants include vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin E, and plant nutrients like quercetin and lutein. Studies show that even hormones like melatonin may have some antioxidant properties that act to slow down aging.
Studies suggest that vitamin C acts as a powerful antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress, protects against DNA damage, and even promotes longevity. Animal studies and in vitro, or test tube, studies have shown that vitamin E may play a crucial role in protecting cell membranes from free radical damage due to aging.
Research also indicates that antioxidants like quercetin help to protect DNA from free radical damage and may even help to repair it. Quercetin has also been found to increase glutathione production in the body. Glutathione is considered to be one of the most powerful antioxidants created by the body. Unfortunately, glutathione production decreases with aging. With a decrease in glutathione production, the body endures more free radical damage and oxidative stress.
Increasing antioxidant intake may help slow down the aging process. Antioxidants are readily found throughout nature and especially in foods like avocados, broccoli, carrots, asparagus, and cabbage. Ways to increase antioxidant intake may be as simple as taking a high-quality multivitamin supplement and increasing the number of fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet.
Mitochondria are tiny functional units that live within the nucleus of the cell. These organelles are responsible for energy production of the body. They are usually described as the powerhouse of the cell. Healthy mitochondrial function is also associated with anti-aging.
Conversely, studies link mitochondrial dysfunction with accelerated aging. Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs when the mitochondria began to produce less energy than necessary for proper body functioning. Poor mitochondrial health is associated with an increase in inflammation. Mitochondrial dysfunction is also linked to an increase in the production of oxidative stress and free radical damage.
Research indicates that improving mitochondrial function may help to slow the aging process. For example, studies have shown that aging is linked to lower levels of coenzyme Q10, commonly known as coQ10 or ubiquinol, levels in the blood. is a widespread molecule throughout the body necessary for mitochondrial function. Lower coQ10 levels have also been linked to a number of disorders like cardiovascular diseases, migraines, and multiple sclerosis. One notable condition associated with lower coQ10 levels in the blood is fatigue, a condition known to be exacerbated with aging.
Studies suggest that coQ10 may help to slow down the aging process by benefiting mitochondrial function. For example, one study found that coQ10 supplementation in healthy volunteers helped reduce fatigue after physical activity. One meta-analysis involving eight different clinical trials found that individuals with coronary artery disease saw a reduction in total cholesterol levels when they used a coQ10 supplement. Coronary artery disease, as well as cardiovascular diseases in general, are common conditions associated with aging.
While coQ10 is a body-made molecule that helps support mitochondrial health, research shows that curcumin may also benefit mitochondrial function. Curcumin is the yellowish-orange colored molecule in the spice turmeric. Curcumin may help support mitochondrial health and slow the aging process. Animal studies have found that curcumin supplementation improves mitochondrial function in the liver. Human studies suggest that curcumin supplementation and regular exercise may help reduce oxidative stress and slow the aging process.
One randomized controlled trial found that supplementation with curcumin for a month or more helped to reduce signs of oxidative stress in bloodwork. Another study involving healthy older men and postmenopausal women found that supplementation with curcumin for 12 weeks helped to reduce signs of oxidative stress in the blood vessels. While curcumin may help to support mitochondrial function, studies suggest that these golden antioxidants may also help to reduce inflammation which increases with aging.
Inflammation is a necessary and helpful process involving the immune system fighting foreign invaders. In most cases, once the infection is resolved, the amount of inflammation decreases. With aging, inflammation can become a long-term issue as the body struggles to restore balance after an infection.
Studies suggest that aging contributes to chronic low-grade inflammation, which accelerates the aging process. This interaction between aging and inflammation acts as a vicious cycle. Therefore, reducing inflammation may help slow down the aging process. Research suggests that getting adequate sleep is one way to reduce inflammation. Studies show that anti-inflammatory cell messengers or cytokines are produced during adequate sleep. These same studies found that anti-inflammatory cytokines failed to be produced in animal models of shift work and long-term jet lag, where the mice failed to get adequate amounts of sleep.
Melatonin is a sleep hormone produced by the body that may help slow down the aging process. Studies suggest that in addition to its role in the sleep-wake cycle, melatonin acts as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neurological protecting agent for brain cells. For example, some studies have found an association between neurological degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and low levels of melatonin in the cerebral spinal fluid and blood. With aging, melatonin levels decrease, leading to less sleep and a poorly regulated circadian rhythm.
Studies show that older adults report less sleep as well as poorer quality of sleep. One study demonstrated that adults who reported less sleep showed greater impairments in tests designed to assess cognitive performance. Because sleep plays a role in memory and cognition, reduced sleep may ill affect brain health in older adults.
Increasing melatonin intake, especially for older adults, may help restore the circadian rhythm and healthy sleep. Restoration of healthy sleep may help to improve cognition and reduce signs of age-related cognitive decline.
While aging may be inevitable, research indicates that there may be ways to slow the aging process. Since studies suggest that aging is attributed to several factors, there may be a variety of ways to counteract the process. These include increasing antioxidant intake, supporting mitochondrial function, and reducing inflammation.
A routine that prioritizes antioxidant intake, mitochondrial support, and reduced inflammation may slow down the aging process and benefit overall health for years to come.
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By Dr. Candace Mathers, N.D.
