WHY DO WE BECOME OLD?
Ageing is an unavoidable part of every person’s life. One may be unable to keep away from the signs of ageing, but one can definitely ensure that the process of ageing is delayed as much as possible.
We need to look at reasons as to why one may become old. In the milestone study “Successful Aging,” which was sponsored by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, researchers reached to the conclusion that our genes determine 30 percent of the entire process of aging; the remaining 70 percent is determined by lifestyles.
Age sets in because of what we do every day. This means it is necessary to remain watchful of day-to-day activities that one may be engaged in. New breakthroughs in the world of medicine have created the possibility of remaining young for long.
Scientists are working at developing new ways that makes use of surgery as well as new medications that will ensure such positive developments. Nevertheless, this is a thing of tomorrow and one cannot predict what future has in store for us. Therefore, it remains an important priority to search for ways and means of staying young at body and heart. These ways are usually related with our daily lives and routines. As such, we could categorize the reasons for ageing into three broad features.
The Genetic Theory explains that the human body has a “genetic time clock” that is pre programmed to go off. However, scientists have yet not reached to a conclusion about the exact timing and what explanation could be supplied for the variations in these ‘timings’.
What we know, as a case in the point of discussion is that the children of long-lived parents are also inclined towards leading longer lives. We also know that women outlive men and this is a worldwide phenomenon.
On the other hand, some genes can speed up the death of a human being. In recent times, the National Institutes of Health researchers recognized a gene on chromosome number 10 that may be responsible for the late commencement of Alzheimer’s disease, a state of mental health that robs nearly 4 million elderly Americans of their memory. Thus, this theory propounds that how we age and what age the process of ageing will start is very much related to our genes.
The Free Radical Theory is yet one more theory that tries to explain the process of ageing in a human body. Free radicals, which are formed as a consequent reaction to everyday chemical reactions within the body, are more often than not neutralized by antioxidants before they can do permanent damage to our cells.
Vitamin E and vitamin C are considered as anti oxidants. As we age, our body’s capability to create the enzymes that are responsible for producing these antioxidants weakens considerably. This fact was brought to light by researchers who were studying the process of ageing in a human body. Vitamin C is found in citric fruits and is a water-soluble vitamin while vitamin E may need to be consumed artificially.
Our diet is a key supplier of antioxidants. As age sets in, the amount of food that may be consumed typically reduces. Senior citizens are infamously poor eaters. The outcome is that free radicals in the body begin to run amok. To date, they have been touted as the leading cause for more than 20 age-related diseases to set in.
Some of these diseases are heart diseases, cancer, muscular degeneration and Parkinson’s syndrome. To add insult to injury, these free radicals that are in the process of creating a havoc in the body also attack the collagen and elastin fibers which are essential components of connective tissue that keep our skin elastic and firm. The loss of moisture from skin leads to skin sags and appearance of wrinkles.
The Hormonal Theory holds hormonal activities in our body responsible for triggering the ageing process. Hormones are responsible for a number of changes within the human body.
For example, the onset of menstruation or the beginning of puberty is essentially hormone related features. Menopause, andropause, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases are some of the other conditions that are caused by hormones. The beginning of these conditions is partly triggered by the decrease in the level of hormone production. This state begins at the age of thirty and increases, as we grow older.
Hormones like estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and human growth hormone, assist us to maintain vitality and a healthy level of libido. This contributes to the ‘joys of life’. The levels of hormones found in the older population are significantly less than that found in the younger ones. As a result, the older generation becomes vulnerable to a number of ailments that could otherwise have been avoided by a satisfactory level of hormones. The presence of ailments further speeds up the process of ageing in these older adults.