Healthy, Active Lifestyle Boosts Levels of 'Anti-ageing' Compound

An active and healthy lifestyle, including a better diet and more exercise, can give a significant boost to the body's levels of an enzyme that helps combat cancerdefine and the ageing process, suggests a new study.

The study by U.S. researchers claims that eating an ultra-healthy diet, doing regular exercise and relaxation exercises can boost levels of an 'anti-ageing' compound in the body that is closely involved in controlling the aging process.

In their study, the researchers headed by professor Dean Ornish, of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, Sausalito, California, tried to explain why those with healthy lifestyles are likely to live longer.

The study, published in the medical journal The Lancet Oncology, shows that people who eat healthier food and increase their activity levels not only feel better, but also experience an increase in telomerase levels. The dietary changes and more exercising may help them improve the ability of their body's cells to fight disease and premature ageing.

Prof. Ornish and colleagues reached their findings after studying 30 men with low-risk prostate cancerdefinedefine. For the study, they asked all the study participants to make comprehensive lifestyle changes.

The study subjects underwent a three-day intensive residential retreat where they were assigned a diet low in refined sugars and rich in whole foods, fruit and vegetables supplemented with vitamins and fish oil.

In addition, they had to do moderate exercise like walking for around 30 minutes a day, and take part in one-hour stress management activities such as meditation, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises. Their telomerase activity was measured at the start of the study and after three months.

The researchers noticed that among 24 men levels of telomerase were increased by 29% on average; as well their blood levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol and stress levels were dropped.

Telomerase repairs and lengthens telomeres, which are tiny caps that protect the ends of chromosomes housing DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) from inflammation and other ageing processes.

Longer telomeres are a sign of being biologically younger and also of being healthier. As people age, their telomeres get shorter and the cells become more susceptible to dying thus making the people more susceptible to certain illnesses associated with ageing.

'To our knowledge, we have reported here the first longitudinal study showing that comprehensive lifestyle changes - or any intervention - are significantly associated with increases in cellular telomerase activity levels.” Prof. Ornish said.

Scientists believe the comprehensive lifestyle changes may cause improvements in telomerase and telomeres that may be beneficial to the general population as well. Professor Ornish said boosts in telomerase levels were beneficial and could be quickly changed.

"This is the first study showing that anything can increase telomerase. If it were a new drug that had been shown to do this, it would be a billion-dollar drug. But this is something that people can do for free." Ornish said

The researchers say though their findings are of much significance, it is too early to tell if the increase in telomerase levels will translate to a change in telomere length. “Larger studies are needed” they said.