Newsflash! Can you slow down your biological aging?

Posted by Liz on Jun 27, 2014 in aging | 0 comments

Researchers from King’s College in coordination with a European Union-funded project, EurHEALTHageing, are tracking biological aging by examining certain metabolites in the blood that they say act as ‘signposts’ for age-related diseases.

Consider this:

We age in two distinct ways. First, there is the aging by the calendar, so to speak, as we count the hours on the clock and the days and years in a calendar. However, there are also a host of diseases that can accelerate our clocks; this is what the researchers aim to focus on.

Granted, our genes play a huge role in aging, but the researchers explain that special chemical groupings that ‘cloak’ the genes can alter which specific genes are active at any given. This cloaking, known in scientific circles as ‘methylation’ is influenced by factors like diet, environment, exercise, pollution, etc and evidently affect whether or not we age faster or slower, healthy or not.

The ultimate goal is the ability to take a blood sample, analyze certain compounds and then determine the risks for developing certain diseases. Thereafter, there may be ways to counteract the biological process or at least, slow it down. Thus far, the researchers say that they have discovered 22 metabolites that are linked to age; and one in particular has caught their eye.

Meanwhile, take note: the Fountain of Youth might be ever so much closer!