What is the main cause of aging?
The main reason for aging is a decline in the efficiency of body cells. Over time, due to a host of other factors such as damage due to environment, wrong replication of cells, our cells become much more inefficient. This manifests itself in the form of common signs of aging, which include wrinkles, lethargy and weaker immunity.
A more rigourous treatment of aging yields the following main reasons for such decay:-
- Damage to our DNA over time
- The shortening of our telomeres, which serve to protect our DNA. They are small cap like structures on the DNA’s tip, which protect our DNA.
- Accumulation of old cells that don’t function anymore but don’t die.
- The decrease in energy output of the mitochondria in our cells.
Can it be prevented?
While it is impossible to prevent such wear and tear of the human body, we can certainly extend it by leading a healthy life. Often age has been linked to genetics- several people may inherit more efficient DNA repair systems, or may even have longer telomere lengths. Apart from these, lack of sleep too can accelerate aging.
