Why do some people look older in their 20s while others will look young forever?
This question concerns many people. Yet, it is still considered a mystery. In recent years, there have been several intriguing studies that found various factors which affect the process and may shed more light on a really important dilemma.
An article in the scientific journal Nature Communications explains the hallmarks of aging: "A substantial loss of muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia), a decreased regenerative capacity and a compromised physical performance are hallmarks of aging skeletal muscle.”
The article centers on one factor that researchers realized could influence this process, a factor which you probably aren’t aware of.
“Genetic studies have identified a powerful aging suppressor gene, Klotho, which encodes a membrane-bound and circulating hormonal protein in mice and humans,” according to the study.
While most research on Klotho has only involved lab mice, one academic paper focused on a group of women. The study recruited 90 mothers who stated that their daily lives involve "high mental stress" and 88 other women who lead more relaxed lives. All women were generally healthy and in their 30s or 40s.
According to the researchers, among the women who faced high mental stress there was a significantly lower rate of this hormone.
Dr. Aric Prather, a lecturer in psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco who led the study, said that "our findings suggest that Klotho, which we now know is very important for health, may help reduce mental stress, various diseases and premature death."
At the same time, however, Prather stressed that his study is merely observational and has not shown a cause-and-effect relationship between high levels of stress and a decrease in this protein level, and certainly has not shown that such a connection accelerates the aging process..
The University of California study was conducted after researchers at the same university identified that a particular genetic variant found in one in five people causes increased production of Klotho. In this study, scientists were able to prove that the cognitive abilities of the subjects were better and that their prefrontal cortex was larger. In addition, the researchers explained, these people tend to live longer and suffer from fewer diseases associated with aging.
In another study, the same group of researchers went even further and increased the amount of Klotho in the bodies of laboratory mice. Their findings showed that this improved the brain function of these mice and reduced a measure of particular toxins which were linked in other studies to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
And with all these findings, it’s still important to say: it will probably be a long time before extensive experiments are performed in humans and until we understand exactly if and how Klotho affects the aging process along with the risk of developing various diseases.
Of course until then, no one will recommend taking experimental supplements, but there is one finding which can certainly be used to improve life in general, and perhaps even slow aging.
We know how mental stress affects our body, mind and psyche. A long line of studies have proven that stress increases the production of inflammation in our body, elevates the risk of various diseases and adversely affects many biological processes. The good news is that today there are plenty of proven ways to improve our response to stress and reduce its impact on us.
The first step in this direction is to increase awareness of how stress is handled in our lives. And as awareness increases, we too can examine what tools may help lower the flames. It’s certainly difficult and might require professional help, but it’s one of the best investments we can make for ourselves throughout our lives.
This articles was originally published by The Jerusalem Post Hebrew sister website, Walla!