This incredible superfood nutrient might hold the key to making your cells look and act younger
11/21/2019 / By Rose Lidell / Comments
This incredible superfood nutrient might hold the key to making your cells look and act younger

People of all ages who chase after the elusive fountain of youth often spend a lot on anti-aging products and various cosmetic procedures, but simple solutions are usually the most effective.

While nothing on earth can turn back time and make you look younger, exercise and a balanced diet are key to making you look and feel good. To date, this is the closest you can get to the fountain of youth.

Eating well ensures that you have access to essential vitamins and minerals that help your body stay strong, while exercising regularly helps you maintain a healthy weight and prevents most of the conditions linked to obesity, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

But what if science has come one step closer to discovering the secret to slowing down the aging process?

Resveratrol analogues rejuvenate cells and reverse signs of aging

A team of researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Brighton has reported that they discovered a new method of rejuvenating inactive senescent cells, or cells that are unable to reproduce themselves.

This effort worked off earlier findings on splicing factors, which are genes that are gradually switched off with age. Splicing factors play several key roles in safeguarding the functions of genes; their efficacy greatly diminishes as people age, as do the splicing factors’ numbers.

The researchers found that these genes could be turned back on through the use of chemicals—specifically, resveratrol analogues. These chemicals occur naturally in dark chocolatered wineblueberries, and red grapes.

Applying resveratrol analogues caused the splicing factors to switch back on. In the span of 92 hours, the researchers observed the cells appearing and behaving like younger cells, and even regained their ability to splice and divide.

Lorna Harries, lead researcher and Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Exeter explained that the findings show how treating old cells with molecules that help restore the levels of splicing factors allows the cells to regain some features of youth. The treated cells can now grow, with their telomeres (the caps on the ends of chromosomes that naturally shorten as people age) just as long as they were in younger cells.

Even the scientists were surprised by the results of the study. Dr. Eva Latorre, a Research Associate at the University of Exeter and Harries’ colleague on the study, shared that seeing the old cells rejuvenate was “like magic.”

Latorre repeated the experiments multiple times and the results remained the same. The researcher shared that everyone on the team is excited about the implications and potential of the study findings.

Natural ways to age gracefully

Of the implications of their work, the Exeter team is hopeful that the results could lead to therapies that make the aging process easier. Most notably, by allowing people to age without undergoing the degenerative effects and deficiencies, such as chronic illness.

Until then, would it be safe to say that eating foods abundant in resveratrol can help against aging? To a degree, yes.

Past studies have shown that resveratrol encourages longer cell life by stimulating cellular proteins known as sirtuins. According to HuffingtonPost.com, resveratrol can boost mitochondrial activity, resulting in increased cellular energy and possibly extending the lives of the affected cells.

But before you start imbibing red wine with impunity, do keep in mind that you’d need to drink more of this stuff than humanly possible to enjoy the anti-aging benefits of resveratrol—about 60 L or 15.85 U.S. liquid gallons, to be exact.

Don’t despair, though. Even if you can’t down all that red wine, there are other steps you can take to make the aging process a lot easier on your body. These include:

  • Exercising regularly. Physical activity won’t just keep the pounds off, it’ll also preserve your muscle mass and strength.
  • Limiting the amount of stress you deal with and maintaining a positive attitude. You are what you think, and if you think of yourself as old and helpless, then you might just start feeling it.
  • Eating healthier. This would entail consuming more fruits and vegetables and cutting down on the sweets, fats, and carbohydrates. Mind your food portions too.
  • Protecting yourself from the sun. While we need vitamin D, the skin only needs a few minutes under the sun to produce this necessary vitamin. Once those minutes have passed, you risk making yourself more susceptible to skin cancer.
  • Getting enough sleep. The chronic lack of sleep can actually speed up aging by accelerating the rate at which your brain deteriorates. So be sure to sleep for at least seven hours each night.

While researchers continue their work on how to naturally make cells rejuvenate, practice good lifestyle habits to improve your overall health. After all, staying healthy is one way to make yourself feel better overall, if not younger.

Sources:

ScienceDaily.com

HuffingtonPost.com

RealSimple.com

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