Who is the leader of the aging world? Is there any creature that does not age?

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Author: Denovo

Producer: China Science Expo

From ancient times to the present, "immortality" and "eternal youth" have always been the beautiful expectations of people. However, as time goes by, aging is inevitable.

What is aging?

The World Health Organization defines aging as a process in which various molecular and cellular damage in the body gradually accumulates over time. Similarly, there are still different definitions of aging in biology, physiology, pathology and sociology.

Biological aging is manifested as the degeneration of the structure of the organism itself and the decline of its function. Physiological aging is a spontaneous and inevitable process, which is manifested in the entire individual development process from fertilized eggs, infants, young people to the elderly. Pathological aging is the decline and abnormality of the function of the organism. Social aging is manifested as individuals losing interest in new things and becoming more and more nostalgic.

senescence

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Why do we grow old?

If you want to fight aging scientifically, it is important to find the culprit behind aging! Scientific research shows that there are several reasons for aging:

One is the imbalance of free radicals.

Free radicals are atoms or groups with unpaired electrons produced by homolysis of single substances or compounds. They are highly chemically active and tend to combine with other groups to form stable structures. In the body, free radicals are intermediate products of body metabolism.

As we age, the number of free radicals in the body increases, but the activity of enzymes that bind to free radicals decreases. The imbalance between the two leads to excessive free radicals that cannot be eliminated in time. Therefore, free radicals will attack other molecules in the body, causing various damages to the body and accelerating the aging of the body. This manifests as sagging skin, deepening wrinkles, and the formation of spots.

The second is telomere shortage.

Telomeres exist at the ends of chromosomes in cells. They are essentially DNA-protein complexes. The length of telomeres directly affects the replication potential of cells and thus the life span of cells. As cells divide, telomeres will continue to shorten, so cells will experience replicative aging.

Studies have shown that the length of telomeres is closely related to lifestyle habits, work pressure, smoking, etc., in addition to the number of cell divisions themselves.

The third is microcirculation disorder.

The blood circulation between tiny arteries and veins in the human body is called microcirculation, and its fundamental function is to ensure the normal exchange of substances between blood and tissues. When metabolic waste and scum are deposited in the body, it will cause microcirculation obstruction, which in turn affects the normal metabolism of the body, leading to cell aging, body dysfunction and disease.

Fourth, protein homeostasis is reduced.

There are more than 20,000 types of proteins in the human body, and proteins are the basis of life activities. Protein homeostasis is an important process to maintain its structure and function, but it gradually degenerates with the aging of the human body, which is prone to protein synthesis disorders and misfolding.

Studies have shown that substances such as arachidonic acid, spermidine and oleic acid can enhance the homeostasis of protein in elderly nematodes. Therefore, various dietary supplements have gradually received attention in anti-aging.

Fifth, reduced metabolic levels and hormone imbalance.

Metabolism is the basis for ensuring the orderly progress of chemical reactions in the body and the premise for maintaining normal growth of organisms. When the metabolic level in the body is reduced, eating too much or lack of exercise will cause the body's waste to be unable to be excreted in time, thereby accelerating aging.

At the same time, when the hormone secretion in the body is unbalanced, the body's physiological functions cannot function normally, resulting in a decline in physiological functions.

How to delay aging?

Although aging is inevitable, we can slow down aging. Here are some tips to slow down aging. Learn them now.

(1) Proper diet

Apigenin, fisetin, anthocyanin, curcumin, capsaicin, etc. have been reported to have antioxidant, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and other effects. These substances are widely found in various fruits and vegetables.

Therefore, you should eat more vegetables and fruits, and take dietary supplements when necessary to keep your cells functioning optimally. At the same time, eat high-fiber foods to promote intestinal motility and protect the intestines.

Studies have found that people who eat too much for a long time are more likely to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and eating too much is not good for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health.

Fruits and vegetables

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(2) Keep exercising

Exercise can effectively help clean exhausted cells, intervene in the disorder of gene sequences, and thus improve the body's metabolic capacity, enhance the working capacity of various organs and the body's immunity. At the same time, studies have found that exercise can make people happy physically and mentally. It can be seen that insisting on exercise can delay aging from both physiological and psychological levels.

exercise

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(3) Proper skin care

Light is the culprit that accelerates skin aging, so you should pay attention to sun protection and resist sun aging. At the same time, use cosmetics containing anti-aging ingredients. Retinol, conopeptide, peptides and other ingredients have been proven to be effective in anti-aging. Reasonable skin care can resist skin aging, and you will definitely be younger.

Skin Care

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(4) Maintain a positive mood

Psychologists have confirmed that the saying "a bad attitude leads to aging" is correct. Excessive anxiety, excessive stress, and frequent insomnia will affect the body's metabolism and hormone regulation, thereby accelerating the aging of organs and skin. Therefore, keep a happy mood and keep yourself younger!

mood

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Are there any creatures that don't age?

Having said so much, it seems that aging is the fate of every living thing. Is it true that no one can resist aging? In fact, "immortality" really exists in many organisms.

For example, naked mole rats are one of them. Naked mole rats are the supermodels of the animal world that ignore aging, with wrinkled pink skin and many huge protruding teeth. Studies have shown that naked mole rats have active DNA repair and chaperone molecules that help proteins fold and synthesize correctly, so they are almost cancer insulators and can greatly delay the aging of the body.

Meanwhile, the risk of death remained largely unchanged as naked mole rats aged, and their lifespan was ten times that of normal rodents.

Naked mole rat

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In addition, lobsters, which are very familiar to everyone, are also the leaders in the anti-aging field. Lobsters usually appear in everyone's vision as delicacies, so their lifespan is difficult to predict.

However, studies have shown that the lifespan of lobsters is similar to that of humans. The difference is that lobsters contain special enzymes that prevent their telomeres from being damaged, so their metabolism and appetite do not decrease with age. The main cause of lobster death is the molting and regeneration process of lobsters, not human aging.

lobster

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There are also sponges, which also have a long lifespan. Sponges are simple multicellular organisms that live in the deep sea and have no trunk, limbs, organs or nervous system.

When their tissues are separated and broken, they still have the ability to regenerate and rebuild. Therefore, aging and death have basically no fixed definition in them. Studies have shown that sponges can live up to tens of millions of years.

Jellyfish are also very long-lived. As an aquatic plankton, the main component of its body is water. Jellyfish can reverse aging and restore vitality to survive through transdifferentiation at any stage of growth.

Jellyfish

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Finally, we have the animals that are generally recognized as long-lived. In other words, when talking about longevity, most people think of the tortoise first. As a long-lived tortoise, the Aldabra giant tortoise can live for hundreds of years. Studies have found that its aging rate and mortality rate do not increase with age. In the end, it is not aging that causes its death, but disease and other external factors.

Aldabra giant tortoise

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Seeing this, there is no need to be envious. Aging is a normal phenomenon and we should treat it rationally. On the one hand, we can always maintain the best physical condition through scientific living, thereby delaying aging. On the other hand, we should maintain a good attitude, accept the aging process, and accept the gift of time.

Editor: Wang Tingting

References:

[1] Campisi J, et al. From discoveries in ageing research to therapeutics for healthy aging. Nature, 2019, 571, 183-192.

[2] Amano H, et al. Telomere Dysfunction Induces Sirtuin Repression that Drives Telomere-Dependent Disease. Cell Metabolism, 2019, 29(6).

[3] Meller A, et al. The aging proteostasis decline: From nematode to human. Experimental Cell Research, 2021, 399(2):112474.

[4] Li Suyun, Wang Liqin, Zheng Jialin, et al. Research progress on free radicals and aging. Chinese Journal of Gerontology, 2007, 027(020):2046-2048.

[5] Wang Jieqing, Liu Jinchao, Gao Jingheng. Research and application of cell food in anti-aging. Chinese Journal of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2012, 23(7):4.