As we age, many changes happen to our body, we become brittle, our hair turns white and our skin wrinkles. We also become more susceptible to disease and may lose our cognitive abilities.
Age is generally considered an inevitable part of life, but can it be delayed and prolong our youth? We asked 8 experts the question: ‘Can aging be delayed?’ Interestingly, there was a ‘probable’ consensus of 75 per cent. This is what we found out.
What is aging?
All living things are made of cells. Scientists regularly grow cells in the laboratory to study them. In 1961, researcher Leonard Hayflick noted that a human cell can divide on average only 50 times before going into a hibernation-like state called ‘aging’. It is believed that an accumulation of senescent cells in tissues of the body can damage other cells and play an important role in aging.
There are many causes of aging and aging at the cellular level. These include oxidative damage, accumulation of small defects in DNA and shortening of telomeres. In essence, different components of the cell are passed through throughout the life of the cell. At some point, this damage means that the cell can no longer function as it used to.
Can we slow down cell aging?
While Hayflick noted that normal human cells have a limited lifespan, some cells can proliferate indefinitely. These cells usually come from cancer or are genetically modified. By turning certain pathways into cells, such as how they multiply or the maintenance of telomeres, we can overcome the normal aging process.
Aging can therefore be delayed in cells and is done regularly to promote research. However, it is important that these cells are not the same as the healthy cells in the human body.
Can we delay aging in animals?
Genetic manipulation can not only slow down the aging of cells, but also the whole animal (also called ‘model organisms’). Experiments to delay aging began in the nematode worm C. elegans. Because of how easy these animals are in the laboratory to work with, scientists have found a whole range of pathways that can be hampered to slow down aging.
Interestingly, one of these pathways is related to metabolism and diet. Restricted diets have been found to delay the aging of a whole range of animals, from flies to monkeys to dogs. The limited calorie intake can cause the cells in the body to go into a ‘protective’ mode, which slows down aging.
Dr Gerardo Ferbeyre, an anti-aging expert at the University of Montreal, points out that ‘[a]While not everything that works in modeling organisms is likely to work in humans, some of the ideas that come from aging research may eventually lead to anti-aging therapy. ‘
Can aging in humans be delayed?
Professor Janet Thornton, an expert on anti-aging at the European Institute of Bioinformatics, emphasizes that ‘[i]one is not ethical in carrying out mutations, and there are so many conflicting forces at work that it is difficult to determine the impact of dietary restrictions. In the laboratory, the lifespan of worms can be increased tenfold; in flies and mice the maximum increase is only 1.5 times, but an equivalent measure is not available in humans. It is likely that the human system is complicated with many interconnections and buffering, so such extensions may not be accessible. ‘
Despite these complications, there are some medications that are undergoing clinical trials to see if they can delay aging in humans. So far it is not clear if these connections will work.
Dr Marco Demaria from the University of Groningen says: “We have different lifestyle interventions that affect the onset and course of aging (diet and exercise at the top of the list).” Many of the other experts have suggested that diet and exercise be improved to slow down aging. People who exercise regularly and live a healthy lifestyle are usually more mobile and enjoy a higher quality of life as they get older.
The takeaway:
Although aging for all living things is probably inevitable, it is possible to delay it experimentally in cells and animals. For us humans, the best way to slow down aging is to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly.
Article based on 8 expert answers to this question: “Can aging be delayed?”
This expert response was published in partnership with the independent fact-checking platform Metafact.io. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter here.