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'Warrior monk' lifestyle can fight off ageing - Independent.ie
Living like a warrior monk who practises meditation, eats a plant-based diet and keeps physically fit may have a transcendental effect on your cells, a study has shown.
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A pilot study comparing two groups of cancer patients found a genetic effect on cells that protects against diseases of ageing and premature death.
The research focused on telomeres – caps on the ends of chromosomes, the twisted strands of DNA housing our genes – that have a similar function to the plastic tips of shoelaces.
Just as shoelace tips prevent fraying, telomeres keep chromosomes stable and prevent mix-ups when cells divide.
Telomeres shorten as we age and shorter telomeres have been associated with a greater risk of early death and age-related conditions such as heart disease, dementia, diabetes, cancers and vulnerability to infection.
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After five years, blood tests showed that the telomeres of the healthy lifestyle group had lengthened significantly by an average of 10pc.
Those of the "no change" control group decreased in length by an average of 3pc over the same period of time.
But members of the control group who chose to adopt a healthier lifestyle were also able to maintain longer telomeres.
My take:
Not a fan of Dean Ornish, as he sometimes seems to peddle all kinds of dubious nutritional disease-fighting claims, but this can be huge if validated by followup trials. I will be watching this closely.
Living like a warrior monk who practises meditation, eats a plant-based diet and keeps physically fit may have a transcendental effect on your cells, a study has shown.
..........
A pilot study comparing two groups of cancer patients found a genetic effect on cells that protects against diseases of ageing and premature death.
The research focused on telomeres – caps on the ends of chromosomes, the twisted strands of DNA housing our genes – that have a similar function to the plastic tips of shoelaces.
Just as shoelace tips prevent fraying, telomeres keep chromosomes stable and prevent mix-ups when cells divide.
Telomeres shorten as we age and shorter telomeres have been associated with a greater risk of early death and age-related conditions such as heart disease, dementia, diabetes, cancers and vulnerability to infection.
........
After five years, blood tests showed that the telomeres of the healthy lifestyle group had lengthened significantly by an average of 10pc.
Those of the "no change" control group decreased in length by an average of 3pc over the same period of time.
But members of the control group who chose to adopt a healthier lifestyle were also able to maintain longer telomeres.
My take:
Not a fan of Dean Ornish, as he sometimes seems to peddle all kinds of dubious nutritional disease-fighting claims, but this can be huge if validated by followup trials. I will be watching this closely.