Aging is an inevitable part of life, but understanding the underlying processes can help us address its effects and potentially slow it down. The research of "hallmarks of aging" provides us a guide to understand the biological mechanisms that drive aging, thus unlocking the secrets to our beautyspan.
Introduction to the Hallmarks of Aging
The hallmarks of aging were initially described in a seminal paper by López-Otín et al. in 2013, outlining nine key processes. Recent research has expanded this framework to twelve hallmarks, offering more innovative perspectives for us to understand the process of aging.
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Genomic Instability
What it is: As we age, our DNA accumulates damage from various sources, including environmental factors like UV radiation and internal factors such as oxidative stress. This genomic instability can lead to cellular dysfunction and diseases like cancer.
How to address it:
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Antioxidant-rich diet: Foods high in antioxidants, such as berries, nuts, and green leafy vegetables, help combat oxidative stress.
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Avoiding toxins: Reducing exposure to harmful chemicals and pollutants can minimize DNA damage.
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Telomere Attrition
What it is: Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division. When they become too short, cells can no longer divide, leading to aging and cell death.
How to address it:
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Stress management: Chronic stress accelerates telomere shortening. Practices like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can help manage stress.
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Healthy diet: Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and zinc support telomere maintenance.
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Regular physical activity: Exercise has been shown to preserve telomere length.
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Epigenetic Alterations
What it is: Epigenetic changes involve modifications to DNA that affect gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. These changes can be influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors like smoking and bad living conditions, impacting aging and disease risk.
How to address it:
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Nutrition Intake: Consuming a diet rich in folate, vitamins, and certain polyphenols supports healthy epigenetic regulation.
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Regular exercise: Physical activity can positively influence epigenetic markers, accelerate cancelling out adverse changes for environmental reasons.
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Loss of Proteostasis
What it is: Proteostasis refers to the balance of protein production, folding, and degradation within cells. Aging disrupts this balance, leading to the accumulation of damaged proteins and cellular dysfunction.
How to address it:
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Protein-rich diet: Adequate protein intake supports the synthesis of new proteins and repair mechanisms.
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Caloric restriction: Reducing calorie intake without malnutrition has been shown to enhance proteostasis.
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Heat shock proteins: Compounds like resveratrol may induce the production of heat shock proteins, which help maintain proteostasis.
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Deregulated Nutrient Sensing
What it is: Cells have nutrient-sensing pathways that regulate metabolism and growth. Aging disrupts these pathways, leading to metabolic imbalances and diseases like diabetes.
How to address it:
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Balanced diet: A diet low in refined sugars and high in fiber supports proper nutrient sensing.
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Metformin: This diabetes drug is being studied for its potential to improve nutrient sensing and extend lifespan.
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Mitochondrial Dysfunction
What it is: Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells, generating energy. With age, mitochondrial function declines, leading to reduced energy production and increased oxidative stress.
How to address it:
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PQQ supplementation: Clinical trials have proven that PQQ is one of the best supplements in supporting mitochondrial function and energy production.
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High-intensity interval training (HIIT): This type of exercise has been shown to boost mitochondrial biogenesis and function.
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Cellular Senescence
What it is: Senescent cells are old, damaged cells that no longer divide but remain metabolically active, secreting harmful substances that can damage surrounding cells and tissues.
How to address it:
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Senolytic compounds: These are substances that selectively clear senescent cells. Examples include quercetin, fisetin and the procyanidin C1.
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Regular exercise: Physical activity can reduce senescent cells by activating the immune system to clean them up.
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Stem Cell Exhaustion
What it is: Stem cells are responsible for tissue repair and regeneration. With age, stem cell function declines, leading to impaired tissue maintenance and repair.
How to address it:
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Regular exercise: Exercise promotes stem cell activity and tissue regeneration.
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Adequate sleep: Quality sleep is crucial for stem cell function and overall health.
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NAD+ Supplementation: supplementing NAD+ can contribute to the vitality of stem cells by supporting the SIRT-1 pathway.
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Altered Intercellular Communication
What it is: Aging disrupts communication between cells, leading to chronic inflammation and impaired tissue function.
How to address it:
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Anti-inflammatory diet: Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and polyphenols can reduce inflammation.
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Hormone replacement therapy: In some cases, hormone therapies can help restore proper cellular communication.
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Chronic Inflammation (Inflammaging)
What it is: Chronic low-grade inflammation, known as inflammaging, contributes to many age-related diseases and accelerates the aging process.
How to address it:
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Bioactive Supplements: Many bioactives are effective against chronic inflammation. Examples include lycopene, procyanidin, pterostillbene, r-lipoic acid and hyaluronic acid. However, these bioactives are hard to intake enough through foods, thus taking supplements can be a good option.
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Stress management: Techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing can reduce stress-induced inflammation.
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Dysbiosis of the Microbiome
What it is: The gut microbiome changes with age, leading to dysbiosis (an imbalance of gut bacteria) that can affect overall health and aging.
How to address it:
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Prebiotic foods: include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and fiber-rich foods to support a healthy gut microbiome.
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Avoid excessive antibiotics: Use antibiotics only when necessary to prevent disrupting the gut microbiome.
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Probiotic Supplements: Certain bacteria like Akkermansia Mucinphila are crucial to gut and metabolic health, yet vulnerable to alcoho, high fat diet and antibiotics, taking probiotic supplements like NEO METABOLIC can help increase the relative abundance of Akkermansia Mucinphila in your gut thus prevent metabolism from deteriorating.
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Compromised Autophagy
What it is: Autophagy is the process by which cells remove damaged components and recycle with the useful components. With age, autophagy becomes less efficient, leading to the accumulation of cellular debris.
How to address it:
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Intermittent fasting: This can stimulate autophagy and improve cellular health.
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Spermidine Supplements: Spermidine promotes the formation of autophagosomes, cellular structures that engulf and degrade damaged organelles and proteins, thereby maintaining cellular homeostasis and promoting longevity.
Understanding and addressing the hallmarks of aging offers a novel and effective approach to enhancing our beautyspan. This strategy of intervention slows down the aging process by addressing their underlying mechanisms of aging and the appearance of aging signs. Leading a healthy lifestyle and using targeted anti-aging supplements can delay the onset of aging signs of our skin, hair, eye, and so on.
NEO CELL is a key to BeautySpan, meticulously formulated with Cellumiva, our proprietary senolytic complex as the core, with PQQ(mitochondrial support and telemore protection), Hyaluronic Acid(anti-inflammation and skin hydration), R-Lipoic Acid(Detox and AGEs resistance), together they serve as the ultimate nutrition supplement for cell rejuvenation and skin health.