Stress and Aging

Stress and aging go hand-in-hand. Have you ever noticed how fast a president ages? It is because of the heavy stress load they carry all of the time.

Not only do you look and feel haggard when you are stressed, but research has shown that stress actually speeds up aging by damaging DNA.

A report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by lead author Elissa Epel looked at stress’s effect on DNA. The study showed that stress does indeed speed up aging.

Telomeres -- or the protective ends on chromosomes -- shorten as cells produce. The length of these telomeres can be used as a measure of age. The study showed that women under chronic stress had aged the equivalent of 10 or more years of additional aging compared to those living less stressful lives.

Chronic stress appears to quicken the shortening of the telomeres resulting in quicker DNA damage, causing cells to die and subsequently faster aging -- more wrinkles, fading hearing and eye sight, and weaker tissues and organs.

Chronic stress also increases the levels of oxidative stress -- or the process in which bad free radicals damage your DNA.

The good news is that you can learn to manage and reduce your stress levels resulting in a better chance of living a long, healthy life. There are many things you can do to reduce your stress levels -- exercise, deep breathing , yoga and more. Click here to learn easy ways you can use to reduce stress.

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