Why Do We Age?

Although aging is a natural process, the phenomenon of aging is still a question that many try to answer. This is perhaps because in answering what aging is, you can discover just how to slow it down further or what is more completely obliterate it.

There are a lot of theories as to why we age, why our skin ages and why our bodies grow old. Here are just some of the most popular theories that scientists use.

It’s in the Genes

Since the discovery of the body’s genetic make-up and its double helix pattern, almost all things in life are genetically based. From the colour of our eyes to the reason why we behave as we behave.

It now seems that the genes also hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of aging. It states that people have a “genetic timeclock” that can go off anytime. Despite this, scientists don’t know what exactly sets people apart or why it happens. What they have found out is that there are people who are naturally younger looking and more active than their counterparts. Children of parents who have lived long will also have children who live long. By standard, women lead longer lives than men.

With genetic problems such as Alzheimer’s, there are also some people who are pre-destined to lead shorter lives.

Free Radicals

Another theory being used involves free radicals, which are the products of chemical reactions in the body that occur everyday. These free radicals can harm the body and damage the cells. It attacks the elastin and the collagen in the body. These two are needed to keep the skin moisturized and elastic. Without them, the skin can sag and become wrinkled. Although these are often removed by antioxidants such as Vitamins E and C, not all can be neutralized.

Diet is the primary reason for getting anti-oxidants in the body. It is important that we have enough stored anti-oxidants in the body if we want to have it last until later. This is because the body’s ability to produce these anti-oxidants will diminish as we grow old. This is perhaps why people who don’t eat properly look older than those who always eat balanced meals.

Hormones

The loss of hormones in the body during menopause and andropause can also contribute in hastening the process of aging. This can also be seen in illnesses such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular problems. Hormones provide the body the fuel to maintain libido, vitality and energy.

Much Ado About Youth

Every day more and more individuals seem to be joining the anti-aging bandwagon. More and more technological breakthroughs, new age techniques, holistic healing and cosmetic products and services are dished out for the masses to lap up. God forbid that a single wrinkle will ever grace our skin. This anti-aging fixation and the fear of wrinkles and growing old stems from the fact that we are all desperately trying to hold on to our youth.

However, it may be this fanaticism that is causing us to grow older faster. Stress is one of the main culprits of a general breakdown in physiological processes of the body. Growing old is the accumulation of the breakdown in our cells. Therefore, stress helps hasten the effects of aging and if we continue to stress ourselves out about trying to stay young and constantly on the lookout for the next biggest anti-aging product the market can offer then we might just be shooting ourselves in the foot.

Instead of focusing on playing tug of war with time, we might benefit better from being more relaxed and accepting of things, This will definitely keep our stress levels lower and the less stress we put on our bodies, the less damage it will incur from strain and the fewer wrinkles will start popping up on our faces. This means that the best anti-aging treatment we can treat ourselves to is not stressing about trying to maintain our youth. Instead we should be living youthfully.

The youth tend to be more carefree and this is a state of mind that more of us need to embody if we want to stay young and healthy. It is possible to maintain one’s youthfulness simply by being youthful. This doesn’t mean that you should follow the pop trends that stand for youth these days. Instead we should look beyond that and go back to the basics of what youth and being youthful really is.

For instance, youthfulness is about maintaining an openness and acceptance of things. If we find that the years are going by and old age is inevitable, don’t try to battle it and frantically grab the lastest anti-aging paraphernalia on the market. Instead, don’t be so concerned about staying young lest we garner a wrinkle or two while worrying over it.

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