Aging is not a slow or linear process, according to new research from researchers at Stanford University.
In fact, aging, especially slowing metabolism and wrinkling of the skin, may occur in what scientists describe as “Age-related waves“In contrast to the steady rise. The study published in Nature’s aging A scientific journal found that the body’s molecules, microbes, and bacteria that make up the gut microbiome undergo rapid change at two key times: ages 44 and 60.
“We’re not changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes,” Michael Snyder, a professor of genetics at Stanford University and one of the study’s researchers, said at a news conference. University Press Coverage“It turns out that the mid-1940s are a time of radical change, as was the early 1960s. And that’s true no matter what class of molecules you look at.”
Molecular changes, when molecules and microbes are significantly more or less abundant, affect the body’s risk of chronic disease, ability to fight disease, and pace of aging, according to the study. Changes in people’s 40s were closely linked to heart disease, skin and muscle function, and how people metabolize caffeine, fat, and alcohol. Molecular changes in people’s 60s play a role in oxidative stress, immune health, heart disease, caffeine metabolism, kidney disease, and skin and muscle aging. It goes along with 12 Signs of AgingIt also shows how older adults have greater sensitivity to alcohol, weight gain, and age-related muscle loss.
The researchers studied more than 100 volunteers between the ages of 25 and 75, who donated blood or provided biological samples every few months over nearly two years, to assess changes in more than 135,000 molecules and microbes. The authors concluded that the vast majority of molecules and microbes, 81%, did not change linearly as an individual aged. The most rapid changes occurred in the mid-40s and early 60s for both men and women.
“This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to the changes seen in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more important factors that influence these changes in both men and women,” said study author Dr. Xiaotao Chen, an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, in a Stanford news release. “Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research.”
While the underlying mechanisms behind the rapid molecular change occurring at these two key periods are largely unknown, and the study only captured data after two years of follow-up, it sends a message to pay special attention to prioritizing your health as you reach middle age to combat some of the molecular changes that are beyond your control.
This means doing regular resistance exercises to combat muscle loss, moving daily to offset the risk of heart disease, and eating nutritious, filling whole foods to combat a slow metabolism.
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