Part 1: Acupuncture

Acupuncture can stop you from aging.  Period.

So, now that we have your attention…  What do we mean exactly when we say acupuncture can keep you from aging?  We are talking about the relationship between acupuncture and telomeres.  Tele what???  Read on…

In the world of scientific longevity research, we don’t calculate age by what’s on your driver’s license, and we pay no attention to the youth-obsessed culture that ascribes to the notion that “50 is the new 30,” or “30 is the new 10,” or whatever. This isn’t Benjamin Button, folks. Scientists now calculated age on a cellular level, by the length of your telomeres (and in this case, longer means better!).

Telomeres are the “caps” at the ends of our chromosomes that naturally shorten as we age, they are similar to the plastic caps at the end of a shoelace. As the plastic ends shred, and the shoelace becomes frayed and damaged, so too the shortening of our telomeres can leave our cells and chromosomes vulnerable to damage.

Telomere shortening means the cell’s lifespan is shortening. Recent research shows that telomere shortening plays an important role in human disease and mortality, (this isn’t just about the amount of wrinkles on your face!). More than 20 studies, from top universities around the world, have shown associations between shorter telomere length and various types of cardiovascular disease (e.g., stroke, heart attacks) and diabetes.  Shorter telomeres have also been associated with cancer, osteoporosis, cognitive function, dementia, and arthritis. On the flip-side, long telomeres are related to healthy aging and overall longevity.

In a nutshell…

The longer and more stable the telomere, the longer we live. 

What causes telomere shortening? 

• STRESS!
• Poor diet
• Lack of exercise
• Too much exercise
• Unresolved emotions
• Toxins (industrial, environmental and food)
• Smoking and other recreational substances including alcohol
• Basically anything that creates free radicals in the body

It’s not surprising that this shortening/aging can be accelerated by an unhealthy lifestyle. However, there’s hope! We may be able to turn back our cellular clocks!

How do I lengthen my telomeres? 

Stay tuned this week and find out…

Much love,

Christina