Longevity is tied to a Youthful Appearance

A post by Blanche Scharf http://www.yourhealthupdates.com I have been studying natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. In that time I have had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientists, and Energy Healers. I have seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease thru non-invasive methods. Personally, I have experienced all kinds of diets from Macrobiotics to Raw Foods. Now is a very important time to start sharing this health information with as many people as possible, so people can make well informed decisions about their health and not fall victim to a sickcare system based on profit, rather than one of supporting wholeness, compassion and love To see more posts by Blanche Scharf, click here

Longevity is tied to a youthful appearance. People who look younger then their years have a healthy advantage. Perceived age is recognized by doctors as a general indicator of a patient’s health.

Study

Research published online in the British medical journal backs this up.

In 2001, Danish researchers conducted physical and cognitive tests on more than 1,800 pairs of twins over aged 70, as well as taking photos of their faces. Three groups of people who didn’t know the twins’ real ages guessed how old they were. The researchers then tracked how long the twins survived over 7 years.

The experts found that people who looked younger than their actual age were far more likely to survive, even after they adjusted for other factors like gender and environment. The bigger the difference in perceived age the more accurate the forecast was.

Biological Explanation

They also found a possible biological explanation: people who looked younger also tended to have longer telomeres, a key DNA component that is linked to aging. People with shorter telomeres are thought to age faster. In the Danish study, the more fresh-faced people had longer telomeres.

The telomere is the tip of the DNA, something like the tip to a shoelace. People that are over 60 that had the shortest DNA tip were three times more likely to succome to heart disease, and eight times more likely not to be able to fight off infectious diseases. People with younger and longer telomeres do better.

Shorter-than-usual telomeres also have been found in many cancers, including those of the pancreas, prostate, bladder, lung, kidney and head and neck.

Good News

Telomeres are influenced by your everyday choices. Everyone knows unhealthy choices such as smoking ages you. These choices can add anywhere from five to ten years to your appearance. Which we now know can deduct years off your life, while adding years to your looks. 

In a San Francisco study, the men who changed their diets, got regular exercised and cut their stress with meditation increased levels of enzymes that lengthened their telomeres in the immune cells.

Getting off the diet roller-coaster and achieving a consistent lower weight. Eating healthy foods like vegetables, fruit, whole grains, good protein and healthy fats from fish, nuts and avocados are associated with longer telomeres.

Inactive people have shorter telomeres than active people. Smoking two packs a day aged participants in one telomere study by 7.4 years. Telomeres, in one study, were longest in those eating the most vitamin C-rich foods — including citrus fruit, strawberries and red bell peppers, and vitamin E-rich foods such as whole grains.  Also, salmon, trout, and olive oil are healthy choices.  Researchers in Hong Kong found the longest telomeres in men who drank three cups of green tea or sometimes black tea a day.

Action

Longevity is generated by your choices. Reducing risk factors means you have to take action. Scientific validation is playing a role in understanding the favorable modifications that change age-related disease processes. Additionally, prevention brings with it a youthful appearance.  

 What This Means To You

It means a longer healthier life, where you get to look and feel good. With longevity tied to a youthful appearance, it means that looking young has a purpose. The beneficial effect is that you avoid debilitating health conditions. You are afforded the perfect opportunity to take charge of your life. The picture emerging is empowering and offers everyone the opportunity to experience better health. Telomeres are for today and tomorrow, holding a veritable treasure trove of life giving properties

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• Telomeres and Nutrition
• Sexually Active Life Tied to Health
• Doctors Role in Disease
• Anti-Aging and Longevity
• Calories Count on The Path to Longevity