Monday, August 20, 2018

How Long Human may live?

Life expectancy has gotten better in the recent decades. Specially for the people who are living in the improved countries. It is about 90 years in countries like Japan. 
The most long lived people in the world have a record of about 150 years. The question is: How long human may live? Is 150 years the ultimate life expectancy for human? 
Regarding to the religious manuscripts, there are many examples of extraordinary life lengths, e.g. Noah who lived for 950 years!
So, it seems that human can live for centuries! but is it possible from a scientific point of view?

What is determining the life length?
Each human cell is programmed to live for a defined time. Genome has the information of the life period. Human genome is divided in 46 segments called Chromosomes. The end parts of chromosomes called Telomeres. Telomeres have a special structure. There is not any gene in the Telomeres, but Telomeres play important roles in the life length of the cells. 
During the cell proliferation, a part of each Telomere is missing and so, the daughter cells have smaller telomeres than parent cell. The shortening of Telomeres continues until reaching a length of Telomere that could not be shorten more. 
The cell in this stage is alive, but can not proliferate more. It is called "Cell Senescence" stage. The aged cells would be alive for a while and then will die.
Scientific studies have shown that the longer Telomeres, the longer life. However, the more important fact is not the length of Telomeres, but is the rate of the Telomeres shortening. If the rate of the Telomeres shortening was fast, then the cell will be aged sooner. Prevention of Telomeres shortening rate is the key point that scientists are noticing when they are dreaming long life for human. If you can decrease the rate of Telomeres shortening, then your cells will enter in the senescence stage later. 
Many studies and experiments have endorsed this theory. And so, it may be possible for human to live for centuries by controlling Telomeres shortening!
A Chromosome, Telomeres are marked in pink

How to decrease the rate of Telomeres shortening?
There are some complex protocols to change the Telomeres shortening behavior. But, we will discus here the one that is more available for you.
This protocol could be summarized in two key words: Healthy lifestyle!
Having a healthy lifestyle will help you to protect your Telomeres from fast shortening. Eating and drinking healthy foods and drinks and having physical exercise are the key points. In the other hand, Stress, smoking, and unhealthy foods and drinks could fasten the Telomeres shortening rate.


How to have a Healthy Lifestyle?
  • Avoid smoking: there are more than 2000 hazardous molecules in tobacco smoke. 
  • Control your stress: your physician or psychologist can provide you with points helping stress control.
  • Do physical exercise: FDA recommends 250 minutes of physical exercise per week for a healthy life. You can divide it through week days.
  • Eat healthy foods: Limit processed foods like fast foods. Processed foods are rich in free radical producing agents.
  • Drink healthy drinks: Limit alcohol, drink 8 glasses of water a day.

Telomeres Need Some help!
Studies have shown that free radicals are one of the most important reasons promoting Telomeres shortening. Free radicals are chemicals could attack every component in the cell. They may react with DNA, proteins, lipids and other cellular bio-molecules. Free radicals attack may make changes in the structure and function of the targeted molecules. In the case of DNA, free radicals may make changes known as Mutations. Mutations may  be very dangerous for the cell and even for the human! For example, Scientists have found many examples of relations between genome mutation and rise of Cancer.  
Based on the scientific findings, Telomeres are natural free radicals scavenger to protect genome. In the other words, Telomeres scarify themselves to protect vital genes on the genome.
Is it harmful for Telomeres? 
Yes! Scavenging of free radicals makes problems in the structure and function of Telomeres leading increasing in Telomeres shortening rate. 
So, Telomeres need some help! 
What can provide Telomeres with some help? 
Antioxidants!
Antioxidants are proper help for Telomeres because they can react and neutralize free radicals and so, the concentration of free radicals would be decreased in the cell. Lower concentration of free radicals, lower hazardous effects on Telomeres.
So, Take Antioxidants and free radical scavengers like Vitamin C to help your Telomeres! 
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and can react with a vast range of free radicals. 
Fresh fruits like citrus fruits and Vitamin C supplements are excellent sources of Vitamin C. 
However, Be advised that the best Vitamin C supplements have natural sources, not synthetic! 

For more information about how Vitamin C could help and how much Vitamin C you should take daily, take a look at our website: www.vitamincplanet.com  

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