How To Lengthen Telomeres?

You can lengthen telomeres by increasing telomerase activity. Telomeres are naturally shortened every time a cells divides, but telomerase can lengthen telomeres.

Telomeres are caps on the ends of chromosomes that keep them from fraying, protecting the integrity of the genetic information contained in the chromosome’s DNA.

Telomeres are sections of DNA that aren’t encoded with genetic information and are likened to the plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces that keep them from unravelling.

If the chromosomes were to unravel the DNA would stick to other chromosomes and would corrupt their genetic information. Telomeres also play an important role in the replication of cells, which affect their longevity.

Each time a cell divides the DNA that contains the cells genetic information is completely duplicated, but the process doesn’t completely replicate the telomeres. Each time a cell divides small sections of the end of the telomeres are lost making the telomeres shorter.

This eventually leads to the deterioration of the cell, cell death, or the transformation of the cell into a cancer cell.^[1] To extend life and the quality of life you would need to lengthen telomeres and reduce the rate at which they shorten.

How Telomerase Lengthen Telomeres

Telomeres are specific repeating DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that don’t contain genetic information. Telomerase are enzymes made of protein and RNA subunits that lengthen telomeres by adding back the repeating DNA sequences that are lost during the replication of cells.

Telomerase enzymes are active in tissues like germ (sperm an egg) cells, activated lymphocytes, and certain types of stem cells, but are virtually inactive in somatic cells (cells of the body.)

Though telomerase enzymes are not naturally active in somatic cells, studies^[2] have shown that increasing telomerase activity can lengthen telomeres in somatic cells.

How to Increase Telomerase Activity

Dr. Dean Ornish’s studies^[3,4] on telomeres, telomerase, and lifestyle clearly showed that diets low in animal saturated fat, stress management, increased activity, and a whole food plant-based diet high in carbohydrates and low in fat and protein increased telomerase activity and lengthened telomeres.

Oxidative stress stemming from the consumption of saturated animal fat and stress were implicated in decreased telomerase activity and the shortening of telomeres.

The consumption of a whole food plant-based diet and its wide range of antioxidants and density of nutrients neutralized free radical damage, increased telomerase activity, lengthened telomeres, and slowed the aging of cells.