Do you know what a telomere is? If you are like the rest of us, you probably don’t. Even so, you are being influenced by them on a daily basis. A telomere is a strand of DNA found at the tip of each chromosome that helps cells divide properly. Telomeres shorten each time they help the cell divide, and when they are gone the cell dies. This process is sometimes referred to as replicative senescence.
As the telomeres in our skin get shorter, we start to develop an aged appearance. A baby has about 8,000 telomeres, whereas an elderly person only has about 1,500. Some scientists suggest that we would never age, at least biologically, if the telomeres were able to stay the same length forever. This theory is supported by what we observe in creatures whose telomeres shrink at a greatly reduced rate, like the lobster, or not at all, like the aptly named hydra, a fresh-water animal that is believed to undergo no senescence. This means, believe it or not, that they are biologically immortal. While disease and bodily harm can kill them, age cannot.
There is an enzyme called telomerase that can help reverse some of the damage caused over time to the telomeres. There have been several companies that have tried to sell pills or liquids of telomerase in a bottle claiming that it will “reverse aging”. These attempts have not been successful because extending the life of a telomere has actually turned out to be more complex than scientists originally thought. But, there is something simple that has been found to help!
A 2009 study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that multivitamin use is associated with longer telomere length. The study was conducted using 586 female participants ages 35-74. The researchers asked if the women took multivitamins regularly and measured their telomere length. The average multivitamin user had telomeres that were 5.1% longer than those who did not take multivitamins. It was also found that women with higher intakes of Vitamins C and E had longer telomeres. Researchers believe that the findings are related to the antioxidant power of many of the vitamins and minerals in the multivitamins which help prevent damage to all parts of DNA, including telomeres.
So, if you want to stay looking young and feeling young, invest in a good multivitamin and keep those telomeres long!
