Aging: The 6 Pillars of Youth

Compared to the beginning of the last century, the way we age has changed dramatically, and now we understand its mechanisms. However, how we age depends on various factors, including our individual choices.

We discuss this with Professor Carlo Tremolada, Researcher and Director of Image Regenerative Clinic.

What causes cellular aging?

"The old have gray beards, wrinkled faces, eyes full of rheum, and... lack both wisdom and strength in their legs" (Hamlet, Shakespeare).

Beyond the visible signs and the way of aging that differs greatly from Shakespeare's time, some things remain constant: the mechanisms by which cells age.

Every adult human is an agglomeration of cells (28 to 36 trillion), which manifest different forms of aging based on cellular mechanisms that, with age, begin to malfunction until all signals cease. Inflammation, in many cases, contributes to delivering the final blow.

What mechanisms underlie aging?

Aging involves complex mechanisms that activate to deactivate functions that keep us young and vital.

For example, the code stored in DNA and RNA that instructs cells to produce proteins begins to 'misread' (genomic instability), and damage accumulates in both DNA and proteins (loss of proteostasis); the protective caps of DNA, telomeres, at the helix ends degrade, and DNA tends to 'unravel' (telomere loss). Cells lose their ability to recycle worn components (deactivation of cellular autophagy) and utilize available nutrients for energy production (mitochondrial dysfunction); consequently, they become diseased (cellular senescence), release inflammatory substances (inflammation), stem cell reserves that regenerate tissues are minimized (loss of regenerative function), and communication between cells throughout the organism becomes altered and eventually ceases.

Inflammation looms over all of this, due to an excessive immune response, which worsens the situation.

The six pillars of health and youth

This process doesn't occur in a few days but gradually over years, daily. Genetic predisposition, environmental factors, lifestyle, and daily habits contribute to aging differently, with some people aging faster or earlier than others.

Following a healthy and balanced diet rich in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, performing daily physical exercise for at least 30 minutes, getting sufficient sleep of at least 7 hours nightly, socializing, managing stress, and avoiding or reducing harmful substances like cigarette smoke are the '6 pillars of health' equivalent to dipping into the fountain of youth.

However, some individuals require additional boost actions or anti-aging treatments, such as oxygen ozone therapy to combat cellular inflammation and oxygenate tissues, bioresonance to mitigate stress effects and promote cellular regeneration, biorevitalizing therapies for skin, and Lipogems regenerative medicine for both skin rejuvenation and regeneration of tissues damaged by wear, aging, and trauma. The Lipogems technology specifically utilizes the regenerative properties of adipose tissue rich in mesenchymal cells, maintaining its vascular structure and extracellular matrix intact for enhanced tissue integration.