Photo: Foto: Brigitte Werner via Pixabay
Insights and theories
Why do we age?
Never before have people lived as long as they do today. Medical ageing research deciphers what genes and lifestyle have to do with it. The aim is to develop therapies that will keep us healthy longer, even as we grow old. Does our concept of ageing – and the point in our lives at which we regard ourselves as old – shift too?
Photo: Foto: Brigitte Werner via Pixabay
Why do we age?
Ageing is not a sudden event, but rather a biological process that accompanies us throughout life – from birth to death. Due to medical progress and improved hygienic conditions, human life expectancy has almost doubled in the last 120 years. At the same time, however, the number and severity of old-age diseases are increasing too.
Every biological organism ages. But why is that? Does ageing have a “biological purpose”? Experts disagree on how to answer these questions. Nonetheless, many findings and theories suggest that both internal and external factors play a crucial role in ageing processes. We would like to present some of these theories here.
1. Making space for the younger generation
According to one theory, the older generations eventually have to make way for the younger ones, because the new generations tend to be more adaptable and better able to adjust to changing environmental conditions.
2. Loss of cell function
Furthermore, it’s assumed that individual cell and tissue components lose their functional capacity over time and that this leads to a decrease in the resilience of individual tissues and, in turn, to an impairment of the cell function. It is still unclear whether the observed changes in DNA, which contains a person's entire genetic information, are the cause or consequence of ageing.
3. Genetic programme
Other theories assume that ageing and ultimately death are firmly established in the “genetic programme” of each cell and therefore occur in a predetermined, unalterable manner. Genetic predispositions are among the factors that have an influence on the ageing process. So far, the degree of this influence is disputed. Some theories assume about 30 per cent, while other studies put the figure as high as 70 per cent. What’s certain is that a high life expectancy is partially inheritable.
4. Biochemistry and hormone balance
Biochemical processes take place in every living being and are the result of transformation, degradation and build-up processes. Their goal is to generate energy for the body. Free radicals resulting from degradation processes may damage the body. An individual’s hormone balance plays just as big a role as biochemistry. Every person goes through certain phases of hormonal change, such as puberty, pregnancy or menopause. Diseases may also cause a hormone change.
5. Lifestyle choices
Another cause of ageing is an individual’s lifestyle. Eating and drinking habits play just as big a role as sleep patterns, smoking habits, and stress in one’s professional and private lives. Our body possesses an extremely good “memory” for the small and big “sins” we commit during our lifetime. They’re stored and, as we age, they reappear in the form of diseases and symptoms of premature ageing. We can prevent this by avoiding very specific external influences – or at least reducing them to a minimum.
What can we do to prevent our bodies from ageing?
There’s nothing we can do to counteract ageing as such, except to honour its positive aspects. Ultimately, growing old is the only way to live a long life, as the French composer Daniel Francois Esprit Auber put it in a nutshell. After all, as we grow old, our precious wealth of experience grows too. The goal should be to prolong the span of health in old age as far as possible so that older people can actively participate in life for a long time.
Even though some ageing-related phenomena are thought to be genetic in origin, we can do a lot to maintain our health as we age. In addition to proper nutrition, it’s crucial to get enough exercise. Regular, moderate exercise helps the body relieve stress and reduces the production of free radicals. By additionally activating our immune systems, we can slow down ageing processes even more effectively.
Exercise not only strengthens our muscles, but also promotes the supply of vital nutrients to the skin. Athletes in general have particularly elastic skin. Those who continue to exercise regularly as they grow old are able to delay typical physical and mental signs of ageing.
In addition, we can try as much as possible to avoid exposure to harmful external influences such as UV radiation, maintain a healthy, low-calorie diet, and avoid body toxins such as alcohol or nicotine.