And between the ages of 50 and 60, the “aging trajectory” was up to three times faster. But at 50, for women, it passes very quickly. Limiting alcohol consumption to one drink a day reduces the amount of work the liver needs to do to remove toxins and impurities from the body. The texture and moisture of your skin will improve, you will lose unwanted kilos and your sleep will be more restful.
Nothing can age as quickly as a constant sense of worry, anxiety, and stress. Studies have shown that extended periods of stress can actually alter DNA. Chronic stress caused by work, family unrest, or other triggers causes increased blood pressure, sleep disorders, and acne breakouts. All of these ailments have a negative impact on the way we age.
Do everything you can to find healthy ways to deal with stress. Taking time each day to disconnect and enjoy quiet solitude can go a long way in reducing your stress levels. Go for a walk, read a book, or soak in a hot tub. Make de-stressing a priority and your body will thank you.
Sleep deprivation has become a global epidemic. Sleep deprivation has been widely demonstrated to lead to impaired cognition and memory performance. Over time, prolonged sleep interruptions can severely affect our immune system, decision-making processes, response time, and other key brain functions. Sleep deprivation is also related to an acceleration of the aging process.
Reduced skin elasticity, uneven pigmentation, and puffiness under the eyes have been linked to poor sleep quality. It shouldn't surprise us that smoking is on this list. The list of ways in which smoking cigarettes has a negative impact on your health and on the aging process is endless. Diseases such as heart disease, lung cancer, infertility, high blood pressure, and emphysema are just a few of the ailments caused by smoking.
In addition to shortening your life expectancy, cigarettes also affect your physical appearance. Smoking activates enzymes that break down skin elasticity. It also deprives skin cells of the necessary oxygen, which causes the skin to take on a greyish yellow color. Many participants were of biological ages in the 1950s, while one, described by scientists as an “extreme case”, had a biological age of 61. The set of markers was measured when the volunteers were 26 years old, then 32 and, finally, 38. According to Belsky, studying aging in younger people provides researchers with the best opportunity to differentiate the biological changes that drive aging from those that sustain specific diseases.
The ultimate goal is to focus on aging rather than on the multiple separate diseases that people are increasingly likely to develop as they age. Studies show that smokers who quit smoking at age 35 added 8 years to their life expectancy and those who quit smoking at age 65 added 2 to 4 years to their longevity.
