How we age – The Mechanisms of Aging

Not everything is known about how and why we age.  Some believe we have a programmed timetable that determines our lifespan.  Others believe it’s just the wear and tear of time and our environment attacking our bodies.

Cellular research has come up with the following hypotheses of aging:

DNA Damage/Repair

DNA is a set of instructions that our cells use to function  They are as critical to a cell as our brain is to us. Every day there are up to a million assaults on our bodies at the cellular level that can damage the DNA.  These include:

1. Oxidative damage
2. Genetic mistakes or typos during DNA replication
3. Ultraviolet radiation
4. Exposures to toxins

As the mutations and errors accumulate in the DNA it can cause the cell to malfunction, age, and ultimately die.

Genetic Regulators of Aging
 Genetic regulators of aging are responsible for interpreting the genetic code – reading the instructions.  They can impact a multitude of metabolic processes that can cause dysfunction and aging within the cell.  The Regulators control the balance within the cell.  They control energy production and cell repair  and ultimately cell lifespan.

Mitochondrial Functioning
 Mitochondria are the “powerplants” of the regulators of aging cell.  They take the carbohydrates, fats and proteins and transform them into energy.  But they can also produce toxic free radicals during the process.  This can damage cell membranes and DNA.  As the free radicals accumulate they can contribute to the development of diseases we associate with age such as cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE)
 As we age, some of the molecules at the cellular level, such as proteins and DNA, cross link with each other.  These cross links can be very damaging and they are directly linked to the damaging effects of aging.  If the cross links are created when glucose reacts with proteins (glycation) they form permanent disabling cross links that has been shown to contribute to cellular aging.  These links are called Advanced Glycation End Products or AGE.

Hormone Production

The neuroendocrine system combines the brain, the nervous system and the endocrine system and their ability to produce hormones.  With age hormone production declines which can result in the loss of muscle mass, elevations in blood pressure, impaired sugar metabolism, and sleep abnormalities.

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The Science of Aging