Preserving Youth

Telomeres may be a key to younger biological age

People with higher levels of omega-3s and men who drank the most green tea had longer telomeres, a sign of younger, healthier cells, new studies reveal

Telomeres—the protective caps at the ends of chromosome DNA strands that contain our genetic code—are like the tip of a shoelace that keeps it from unraveling. When a cell divides, the new cell must take with it a complete copy of the DNA strand to function properly. Long, healthy telomeres on the ends of each chromosome allow the new cell to get a complete DNA copy. Age, stress, and poor nutrition can erode telomeres, eventually damaging chromosomes and any new cells. Doctors are beginning to gauge biological age by telomere length....

Continue

This Issue:

Continue