Is Gen Z Aging Faster? Here’s What the Experts Say

It started on TikTok, with a content creator in his 20s lamenting recent events where he had been incorrectly addressed as someone much older. Other Gen Zers followed suit, sharing their own stories of being age-mislabeled and questioning whether or not they were, in fact, aging faster than generations before them. 

Gen Z’s aging process has gone viral, leaving us with questions about how our bodies age, whether or not one generation can really age more rapidly, and if we can do anything to slow the process down. We’ll explore these topics and uncover the truth about aging as it applies to Gen Z and everyone else.

Gen Z and Aging

Gen Z, or people who were born between 1997 and 2012, are currently between the ages of 12 and 27. That’s a wide age range, and it may come as a surprise to learn that anyone in this age group would consider the aging process this early in their lives. 

Blame social media, marketing, or whoever is in charge of making us feel like we should look 10 years younger than we do, but the obsession with aging is very real, even to people as young as 12 and 13. In fact, kids as young as 11 are jumping on the anti-aging skincare bandwagon and using products that aren’t truly designed for their skin. 

The aging dilemma isn’t a new one. Every generation before Gen Z and everyone that comes after will eventually face the reality that they are aging. So, why does Gen Z feel they may be aging faster than previous generations?

The Cause for Concern

Gen Zers likely feel they are getting wrinkles and feeling the effects of aging sooner than their predecessors because they are a generation that has grown up entirely digitally. There is a record of their faces recorded across social media platforms that they can readily access in a matter of seconds, allowing them to compare how they looked five years ago and how they look now with ease. 

In addition, marketing about longevity, aging, and wellness is at a peak. While some of this information is beneficial and can help us lead healthier lives, some can be toxic. It’s possible that Gen Zers feel it is harder to maintain their current looks into their thirties and forties simply because there is a large amount of pressure to do so.

Lastly, Gen Z has lived through a pandemic, social unrest, inflation, job insecurity, and cyber-bullying/threats that other generations have not had to endure. These stresses could cause members of Gen Z to feel an overwhelming amount of stress and exhaustion, which could make anyone feel older than their birthday age. 

The bottom line: Gen Z wants to know if it is possible that they truly are aging faster than other generations. Time for science to weigh in. 

What Does Science Say?

Though Gen Zers may feel older than they are, science does not support the idea that they can age any faster than anyone else. Unless researchers discover a mutation deep within the genetic code of individuals born between these abstractly ordained years, members of Gen Z can rest assured they are aging at the same rate as everyone else. 

The aging process itself, however, is more complicated than simply counting your birthdays or classifying oneself into a generational age group. Aging happens in two different ways. Spoiler alert: we can biohack one of those ways and support a longer, healthier life. 

How Does Aging Happen?

There are two primary ways the body ages: chronologically and biologically.

Chronological Aging

Chronological aging is the age you are because of your birthday. If you were born in the Gen Z era, you’re likely a late teen or twenty-something. We can’t change or manipulate chronological aging any more than we can stop the sun from rising and setting. Biological aging is a different story. 

Biological Aging

The other way our bodies age is biologically. Biological aging refers to the age of our cells, which make up every aspect of our bodies. Our cells don’t admit to age in the same way that our chronological age does. Cells can be older or younger than our chronological age.

Biological aging is controlled by factors like:

• Genetics
• Underlying illness and disease
• Lifestyle habits
• Environmental factors

Because biological aging is more fluid, we have the opportunity to manipulate it to our advantage. We can make choices and adopt lifestyle habits that slow down the aging process in our cells or make our cells age faster than they should. 

How Can We Affect Our Biological Age?

Your biological age is determined by many factors; being proactive about your health can impact your biological age for the better. 

There are several ways we can ensure our biological age lags far behind our chronological age:

Diet

Eating a balanced diet is key to managing your weight, keeping your body healthy, and keeping your cells young. Your cells need nutrients to maintain their function, and they get those nutrients from food or supplements. Eating a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein can keep you satisfied and ensure your cells are operating at full capacity.

Exercise

Research establishing a link between exercise and longevity is vast. We simply cannot ignore the link between continual movement and a healthy, longer life. 

In Blue Zones (areas across the globe where residents consistently live to be 100 +), people continue moving naturally at all ages. Gardening, walking, swimming, or playing tennis are all ways to keep moving without sacrificing two hours of your day at the gym if you’d rather not be there. 

Stress Management

Gen Z and all other generations using the internet have access to more information than ever before. We see events happening in real time and experience both positive and negative information every time we log onto our computers, tablets, and smartphones. Many people do not realize that with this access comes stress that can even lead to anxiety. 

Stress management is key to staying young and healthy. Studies associate a strong link between chronic stress and accelerated aging. Yoga, meditation, therapy, and self-care are all ways to help manage stress and slow the aging process.

Cellular Health

Because biological aging happens in the cells, caring for our cells should be paramount. Most people don’t understand cellular health, nor do they have a roadmap of how they’re going to approach it. 

That’s okay because we do. Cellular health is our thing, and we’re going to share our secrets about longevity, cellular health, and aging in reverse with you so you can increase your health span and live a longer life. 

Cellular Health: The Answer to the Gen Z Aging Problem

Aging in our cells is what’s causing aging in Gen Zers, as well as everyone else. Researchers have identified several ways in which our cells age, which are called the hallmarks of aging. These processes cause our cells to age and, by extension, our bodies. If we can address them, we’ve got a real shot at stunting the aging process. 

While researchers are learning more about these processes, they’re also testing new therapies to see how they interact with them, and whether they can be considered helpful in slowing these processes. 

One nutrient that has gained attention is pentadecanoic acid, or C15:0 for short. C15:0 is an odd-chain saturated fatty acid with numerous activities known to enhance longevity. It has been shown to have more cellular benefits than the leading longevity-enhancing molecules rapamycin, metformin, and acarbose.

How It Works

C15:0 supports cells in several key ways: 

• Strengthening cells by up to 80%.
• Improving mitochondrial function and ATP production by up to 350%. 
• Supporting the gut microbiome.
• Reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease
• Improving liver enzymes. 
• Reducing the risk of fatty liver disease.

C15:0 isn’t just helpful to your cells — it’s essential. That means our bodies need it to thrive but cannot readily make it on their own. It’s so important that scientists have discovered that having a C15:0 deficiency is linked with a type of early cell death known as ferroptosis. 

Ferroptosis is linked to accelerated aging and a host of other age-related illnesses that start within weakened cells. As such, having C15:0 levels that are too low (lower than 0.2% of your circulating fatty acid count) is referred to as Cellular Fragility Syndrome. 

How To Fix It

Nutrient deficiencies are rare, but Cellular Fragility Syndrome affects 1 in 3 people worldwide. This is likely because C15:0 is found primarily in whole dairy products like full-fat butter and whole milk. How many Gen Zers do you know that drink whole milk? 

Increasing your intake of whole dairy wouldn’t be a good solution because you’d be consuming excess calories and “bad” fat you don’t want. A solution?

Fatty15.

Why Fatty15

There are a few reasons why increasing your C15:0 levels with fatty15 makes more sense than moving space in your fridge to accommodate several gallons of whole milk.

• It’s readily absorbable. In milk and other whole-fat dairy products, the good C15:0 is attached to branches of lipids called triglycerides. During digestion, enzymes release C15:0 from these branches before it can be absorbed, which makes it less efficient for the body. In fatty15, the C15:0 is already in free fatty acid form. Less work for your digestive tract, more good C15:0 for your cells and body.

• It’s not mixed with bad fats. The good C15:0 in whole-fat dairy is only found in trace amounts. You’d have to consume a lot of whole milk to get the amount you need to stay within the healthy C15:0 range (between 0.2% and 0.4% of your free fatty acid count). If you consumed that much, you’d also be consuming bad, even-chain saturated fat that is associated with poor health outcomes. In fatty15, you get the pure C15:0 you need and nothing you don’t. 

• It doesn’t involve cows or calories. Whole milk involves, well, cows. It also packs a wallop of calories, which doesn’t necessarily support your weight goals. By contrast, fatty15 is vegan-friendly and only contains one calorie per daily dose. 

Taking fatty15 can help support your wellness, increase your longevity, and ensure you have a longer healthspan. For any generation, it’s one of the smartest decisions you can make. 

Get Wiser, Not Older

No matter what generational classification you fall under, you can biologically age in reverse with a few lifestyle changes and the power of the first and only C15:0 supplement that protects against Cellular Fragility Syndrome. 

Fatty15 is the biohack that is safe and effective for all ages. Make a wise choice for your cells, and add fatty15 to your daily health stack. 

Sources:

Gen Z Asks: Are We Aging Faster Than Other Generations? | The New York Times

Young girls using anti-aging products they see on social media are harming them | AP News

Which type of exercise keeps you young? | PubMed

The Link between Chronic Stress and Accelerated Aging | PMC

Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe | PubMed

Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0), an Essential Fatty Acid, Shares Clinically Relevant Cell-Based Activities with Leading Longevity-Enhancing Compounds | MDPI

Efficacy of dietary odd-chain saturated fatty acid pentadecanoic acid parallels broad associated health benefits in humans: could it be essential? | Scientific Reports

A review of odd-chain fatty acid metabolism and the role of pentadecanoic Acid (c15:0) and heptadecanoic Acid (c17:0) in health and disease | PubMed