Why some of us age faster than others

2 mins to read

New research suggests some of us are ageing faster than others. Find out why and what you can do to help slow the process down and maintain wellbeing through all life’s ages.

Everyday health

Have you ever looked around at your group of same-age friends and wondered why some look older or younger than their age?

A recent study of nearly 1,000 38 year-old New Zealanders has found although people are born in the same year, their biological age can make them appear anywhere from 28 years old up to 61 years old on the inside!

Your biological age is different to your chronological age and tells a different body age based on the function of kidneys, liver, lungs, metabolic and immune systems.

The study calculated the group of 38 year-olds biological age by using biomarkers that measured blood pressure, cholesterol, cardiorespiratory fitness, dental health, brain health, lung function and length of DNA strands.

“Young individuals of the same chronological age varied in their “biological aging” {...} Already, before midlife, individuals who were aging more rapidly were less physically able, showed cognitive decline and brain aging, self-reported worse health, and looked older,” reported the study authors.

An internal ageing process may also increase your risk for disease. While you may be predisposed to certain conditions, research from identical twins has suggested that lifestyle can greatly increase the effects of ageing.

By intervening in the ageing process rather than addressing disease as it occurs, you may just be able to live healthier, for longer.

6 habits of the youthful

Be active and exercise

Exercise improves cardiovascular health by delaying the onset of disease, and may help prevent age-related changes to muscles, bones and joints. The additional immediate benefits for exercise include improved balance, posture and muscle tone.

#cleanliving

Alcohol, drugs and smoking increase your risk of developing chronic illness. What’s more, not only can they cause disease, but smoking in particular increases the rate of ageing in your skin by producing a yellowed skin tone that inhibits the transport of nutrients to your skin.

Collagen is eventually broken down leading to wrinkling and saggy skin.

Maintain a healthy, balanced diet

Keeping an eye on your caloric intake and a balanced nutritional diet can lead to a substantially longer and healthier life.

Food rich in anti-oxidants for example, may help to prevent inflammation associated with poor immune function and cell damage by inhibiting free radicals in your boy.

Other benefits of maintaining a well-balanced diet include influencing blood pressure, cholesterol, the percentage of body fat in your body, heart rate and blood sugar levels to remain within a healthy range

Stress less

Chronic stress can speed up the ageing process by shortening the end-lengths of each DNA strand called the telomeres. This causes the cells to age faster losing their ability to regenerate, which contributes to premature ageing.

Prolonged stress may contribute to the shortening of your cellular DNA, so make sure you visit your healthcare professional for proper care.

How to be more mindful

Reduce sun exposure

The damage to your skin from prolonged exposure to the sun are huge and include wrinkles, sagging, large pores, loss of elasticity, uneven pigmentation, dark spots and age spots.

Healthy ageing healthy skin

By limiting the amount of time you spend in the sun you can slow down these effects. During the warmer months always wear sunscreen, a sunhat and avoid sitting in the sun for long periods of time during the hottest parts of the day.