Our genes and blood iron levels could influence the ageing process; Read on
New Delhi : We all age differently. Some people end up with white hair at an early age while the others don't seem to age at all even when you expect them to. Now most of us just assume that's because of our diet, health, lifestyle and stress levels but there are other factors involved that we are unaware of. A recent study conducted by a group of scientists has linked genes to ageing. People age at different rates and that could be attributed to genes.
Researchers have also taken the time to study the biological ageing process. Biological ageing is the rate at which our bodies decline over time. There are three things that play an important role in the process of biological ageing - lifespan, healthspan and longevity. Scientists and researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Germany focused their study on these 3 factors.
International research claims that maintaining healthy iron levels in our blood could be the secret better ageing and lifespan. This can reduce age-related health problems and give us a chance to live a longer and healthier life. High or low levels of blood iron can lead to conditions like liver problems, Parkinson's and other such health problems. This is why it is important to watch our diet and maintain healthy blood iron levels.
In a report published in the Hindustan Times, Dr Paul Timmers from the Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh, said, “We are very excited by these findings as they strongly suggest that high levels of iron in the blood reduce our healthy years of life, and keeping these levels in check could prevent age-related damage. We speculate that our findings on iron metabolism might also start to explain why very high levels of iron-rich red meat in the diet have been linked to age-related conditions such as heart disease,”.
Dr Joris Deelen from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Germany, said, "Our ultimate aim is to discover how ageing is regulated and find ways to increase health during ageing. The ten regions of the genome we have discovered that are linked to lifespan, healthspan and longevity are all exciting candidates for further studies.”
