Stop Aging Now By Getting Rid Of Your Stress

By Author: Ellen Huston
Total Articles: 7
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Compare the looks of a U.S. president when he takes office with his looks after four or eight years on the job and it's hard to avoid the conclusion that stress affects aging.

Organs such as the heart, liver, and kidney are critical components of the human body. And similar to the critical components of man made products like automobiles, buildings, and so on - wear and tear on them has a cumulative effect. When we're stressed out, our heart rate increases, our blood pressure goes up, and our adrenal glands flood our bloodstream with hormones. If this series of events happens occasionally, no real harm is done to the body. But if the stress is never ending, real damage begins to happen to the components inside of our bodies.

A perfect example is the starter switch of an automobile. Every starter switch in an automobile has a pretty much pre-determined life span. On an average day of driving our car we might start our car by turning on the starter switch 3 to 7 times a day. We do it when we go to work, when we return home, possibly during the course of running errands throughout the day. In other words, normal use. ...
... Our starter switch will most likely last for years under normal use. But, imagine how long that same switch would last if you were to turn your car on, but instead of releasing the ignition switch when your car starts, you continue to let it grind. You'll be lucky if your starter switch lasts through the day.

Chronic stress in your body is similar. Genetecists have theorized that, like a starter switch, each cell in the body has a programmed and predetermined life span. When that life span has expired, the cell chromosomes will no longer work and the cell dies. When the body is under chronic stress. it is continually activating the "fight-or-flight" responses in the body. In other words, the starter switch has been turned on and left on. The theory is that it is this constant stress that ages the body. But how? The answer is the telomere.

A telomere is a scientific term specifying a region of repetitive DNA at the end of chromosomes. It protects the end of the chromosome from destruction. The telomere is also involved in the replication of cells. Each time a cell divides, the telomere is shortened. Eventually the length of the telomere becomes so short that it can no longer divide. At this point the cell dies. Recent studies have shown that chronic stress tends to accelerate the shortening and shriveling of the telomere, directly causing the body to age faster. The greater the level of chronic stress, the faster the body's cells die and the faster the body gets wrinkles, weakened muscles, frailer bones, poorer eyesight, and other typical signs of aging.

Scientist can now actually measure a cell's age by looking at its chromosomes. This means that they can measure, at a cellular level, the damage that stress is having on the cell's chromosomes. Though more studies are needed to confirm this, one theory is that it is the high levels of stress hormones in the body, particularly cortisol, that is doing damage to the telomeres.

For many years now, scientists have been studying the link between chronic stress and the increased risk of major diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. There now appears to be a direct link, as well, between chronic stress and premature aging in otherwise healthy people.
Ellen Huston is writer and researcher for http://www.superstressmanagement.com . Please visit her site for information on the best ways to deal with stress as well as articles on other stress related topics.