You must have come across people who look older but their actual age is quite low and vice versa. This is because all of us age differently despite being born in the same year or place. There are various factors that play a crucial role in determining how you age and how you look. These will be discussed in detail in the later part of this article. There are two important terms we should be aware of before we move forward. One is the chronological age which tells about the number of years you have been alive and the other one is your biological age which refers to the age of your cells in the body. You and your body’s cells age differently.
Chronological Age | Biological Age | External Factors Affecting Your Biological Age | Different Methods of Measuring Biological Age | Conclusion
Chronological Age
It is the time that has passed since your birth to the given date. This is the age that you usually tell people, fill in forms and according to this date only, you celebrate your birthday.
Biological Age
As you age, the cells in the body get damaged, which can greatly vary from person to person due to various factors. This is also known as the physiological or functional age and considers your chronological age, genetics, lifestyle, nutrition, diseases, and other conditions.
According to various research, your biological age is far more accurate than your chronological age in predicting the onset of diseases and death.
External Factors Affecting Your Biological Age
You don’t have any control over your chronological age but your biological age can be lowered if you begin to take care of a few basic external factors such as:
Exercise
It has been found that people who engage in various physical activities have a lower biological age in comparison to those who lead a sedentary lifestyle. However, exercise must be combined with a healthy diet to see the best results.
People with chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or arthritis tend to greatly benefit from exercising regularly. It was also seen that people who participated in aerobic exercises were almost 5.5 years younger than those who did not work out at all.
Diet
As per various studies, it has been confirmed that you can lower your biological age by eating a diet that is rich in essential nutrients and vitamins. The nutrients present in these foods help your bones and muscles to stay strong and healthy for a longer period of time.
Most studies agree that an ideal diet to lower biological age is low in calories, plant-based, and has healthy fats derived from coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseeds, etc.
However, keep in mind that before starting any particular diet, you should always consider getting in touch with your healthcare provider and letting him know about your goals, wishes and expectations.
Stress
Too much exposure to stress can lead to inflammation and cause damage to the DNA in cells. This accelerates the aging process in a person leaving you with dry skin, wrinkles, acne, etc. In various studies, it was found that during stressful times, a person began to age a lot faster biologically but this went back to normal baseline once the stress-related factors were eliminated.
Smoking and Drinking
Smoking not only causes various health problems but also shortens your lifespan and increases your biological age. However, it has also been seen that once people quit smoking, their biological age lowers and becomes the same as that of non-smokers.
Moreover, excess alcohol consumption can speed up the aging process at a biological level. It was found that alcohol consumption for five years could accelerate the biological age by up to 4 months. It also leads to premature deaths and is associated with various age-related diseases.
Sleeping Habits
It is generally recommended that adults should get at least seven hours of sleep every night. Poor sleeping habits will negatively affect your health and lifespan and will also increase your biological age. However, once you begin to sleep properly, you will be able to reverse the biological aging that occurred due to lack of sleep.
Going to bed at the same time every day, not looking at screens before sleeping, having healthy eating habits, etc. can help fall asleep faster and better.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight and Body Shape
It has been seen that people who are overweight have a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Moreover, your body must have equally distributed fats.
Physical Environments
The place where you live, work and spend most of your time also has a significant impact on your biological age. The place may have polluted and dirty air and can cause damage to the organs of your body and your mood. These factors speed up your biological aging.
However, there are various steps that can be taken to avoid or reduce exposure to such environments. Once exposure to such environments is reduced, the biological age can be reversed and controlled.
Different Methods of Measuring Biological Age
There are different methods to calculate the biological age of a person and most of these tests take into account specific factors that involve various body parts, their present condition and the extent of their damage since birth.
Blood samples, studying cell damage by taking cheek skin swabs, DNA study, etc. are some of the measures that can be used to find out the biological age of a person.
Conclusion
Our chronological age will keep on increasing, no matter what we do. However, our biological age can be improved by following the above measures. However, before starting or quitting any diet or exercise program, make sure to get in touch with a professional. With the right lifestyle choices and changes, you can look younger and healthier.
Disclaimer
This blog has been written after performing in-depth secondary research related to the topic from various articles, blogs, and journals with expertise in writing for healthcare. The content on this page should not be considered a substitute for medical expertise.
