Telomere Length Measurement
What are Telomere and why are they important?
Telomere Length Measurement
What are Telomere and why are they important?
Telomere are the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes. Their crucial role is to prevent the damage and abnormality in the chromosomes during the cell division. Telomere can be compared to the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces that help prevent the strings from becoming tangled or tattered.
Telomere’s function is to protect the ends of chromosomes from deterioration, which assures us of having normal cells and healthy lives. With each cell division, the telomere ends become shorter. This indicates that the length of the telomere is related to the aging of the cells.
Therefore, the measurement of the telomere length is crucial. It determines whether the age of our cells matches our chronological age. Shorter telomeres indicate our shorter lifespan. Recent researches show that the shortening of the telomeres can cause cell degeneration, which can lead to serious illnesses such as diabetes, cancers, coronary artery disease, and cerebrovascular disease, and premature death. So, the long telomere indicate that our body is in a good condition and that we will live a longer life.
The factors that affect the length of the telomeres are race, gender, environment, nutrition, pollution, PM 2.5, stress, heredity, and hormones. Our daily activities or behaviors such as smoking habits, obesity, stress, nutrition, exercise habits, sleeping habits can also affect our biological age.
Therefore, if we want to live a long and healthy life, we should take care of our health. This can also help lengthen the telomeres.
- Get enough sleep, at least 8 hours a day.
- Eat healthy food. Refrain from eating heavily flavored foods, fast foods, dairy products, and foods that are too sweet, too salty or too oily.
- Do cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming, or cycling at least 30 minutes a day. Be active and do not stay in one position for too long. Try walking at least 10,000 steps a day.
- Meditate and distress. Try to let go of things and give your brain a break. Remember that watching TV or using your mobile phone means your brain is not resting. So stop thinking to give your brain a break.
