Rewinding your Cellular Time Clocks

When you’re born, you need to develop more cells to continue to grow, some of which are for new bone, blood and skin, for example. After you are all grown up, you’re still producing new cells, like the cells that line your intestines, or maintain your skin.  Every cell that reproduces needs telomeres, which keep you from losing genetic material contained within your DNA strands, during cell division.

These telomeres “cap” the ends of the chromosomes, so they don’t break. When chromosomes are broken, you’ve got problems.  Cells die (scenescence), or blow up (apoptosis), possibly damaging or destroying neighboring cells, then are never heard from again.

 You can lose this “cap” function, if the telomere protein is mutated, missing or the telomere is too short.  These tiny, genetic, biological clocks tend to shorten as you age, so your cell replication doesn’t copy chromosome ends completely. 

The good news is, researchers are better able to understand and manage the aging process and combat chronic diseases by introducing telomerase, an enzyme that creates a favorable environment for longer telomeres.  Scientists have even genetically designed a lab mouse that has defective telomerase, to help demonstrate the role this powerful enzyme plays in the aging process.  Of course, they’ll tell you they need to continue to explore the field of telomere biology, but the data is in.

Lab experiments show that most human cells can divide only 30 to 80 times before they die.  Aging cells undergo even fewer replications before they scenes.  So, preserving your telomere length is a critical strategy for continuing vitality, as the clock ticks on.

How do you go about preserving telomere length?

 Well, there are whole books written on this subject, but the macro view is:

• Get in shape and stay in shape. The best exercise is one you will do consistently. Ideally, resistance training and high intensity interval training help maintain muscle mass and activate growth hormone. Remember, sedentary is the enemy.
• Manage your stress levels. Yoga, meditation, anything that keeps the ruminative thoughts at bay, is helpful.
• Consistent, high quality sleep is key for telomere maintenance.
• Proper nutrition, is absolutely necessary, whether you’re an omnivore, carnivore or herbivore. If you eat meat, keep it free of antibiotics and hormones. Fruits and veggys should be pesticide free.
• Steer clear of too much added sugar, unhealthy fats and simple carbs.
• Supplement with high quality Omega 3’s EPA and DHA. These are essential fatty acids that your body needs to replenish and cannot manufacture by itself.  Eating deep water ocean fish like salmon and pollock twice a week is ok, but keep in mind all the toxins you’re getting.  Adding in purified omega 3s like Dr. Dave’s Best Ultra 85 will help maintain healthy Omega ratios.
• Add Dr. Dave’s Best Telomere Edge Packsto your daily regimen. Doctor designed and packaged conveniently in AM/PM packs, this supplement was created to do the work for you, by combining powerful antioxidants like Omega 3’s, vitamins and compounds in the right dosages to get you through your day.

Telomere science is a relatively new and fascinating field.  Surely, you’ll see a lot more research and new studies on this subject.  As scientists unlock more secrets of anti-aging, preserve your telomeres now, so you’ll be able to reap the benefits.