When Do You Start To Feel the Effects of Aging?
Published by Dr. Venn-Watson
Dr. Eric Venn-Watson’s Highlights
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The noticeable effects of aging usually occur during midlife or between ages 35 and 50.
Discomfort in your joints, lethargy, and loss of mental sharpness are some of the most common complaints of middle-aged adults.
Increasing your C15:0 levels by taking a supplement, like fatty15, is proven to support your body as it ages and give you a leg up on longevity.
The twinge of pain in your knee when you use the stairs. A slight pain in your neck when you sneeze. Persistent lower back pain when you sleep in the wrong position. All of these are usually written off as signs that you’re getting older. They’re uncomfortable and unwanted, and you may wonder if you’re feeling them too soon or if you can avoid them.
The bad news is that you’re going to age, and your body will age along with you. The good news is that you don’t have to age with aches, pains, and a loss of energy that makes you long for your twenties. With the right diet, exercise, and healthcare, you can not only age gracefully but increase your health span.
Follow along as we discuss the side effects of aging, when you might begin to feel them, and how you can combat them with an arsenal of science-backed tools to increase your vitality.
How Does the Aging Process Work?
Aging happens in two ways: biologically and chronologically. Chronological aging refers to your age as measured by the year you were born. In other words, chronological aging is simply your current age.
On the other hand, biological aging refers to the age of your body as determined by the health and well-being of its most foundational part: your cells. Your cells can be younger than your calendar age or older, depending on variables like lifestyle, underlying illnesses, and genetic factors.
Cellular aging is a hot topic for biohackers, scientists, and wellness advocates, and it’s no surprise why. If we can figure out what causes our cells to age faster, we can learn how to slow that process down. Spoiler alert: We already know several specific ways in which our cells age.
Referred to as the Hallmarks of Aging, these processes contribute to cellular aging, which in turn causes tissues, organs, and bodies to age. While some of these processes occur due to genetic causes and/or underlying illnesses, many can be manipulated so that our cells age a little more slowly.
What Are the Symptoms of Aging?
Most of us begin to feel the effects of aging cells by our mid-30s, although many people admit to noticing changes even sooner. While you may notice that aches and pains are more prominent, some other health changes are also common for older adults.
These include:
High Blood Pressure
As we age, our blood vessels and arteries may begin to develop atherosclerosis, which can lead to unhealthy blood pressure and heart disease.
Hearing Problems
Some degree of hearing loss is common as we age due to changes in the inner ear and a weakening auditory nerve.
Vision Loss
Older people experience vision changes known as presbyopia, an age-related loss of close-up vision in the mid-40s to early 50s. In addition, vision problems like cataracts may begin to develop.
Unregulated Cholesterol
With age, cholesterol levels change. Having high cholesterol can lead to problems with your heart health and may eventually cause a heart attack or stroke.
Insulin Resistance
Type 2 diabetes primarily affects adults aged 45 and up, although we’re beginning to see more occurrences in younger adults and even children. Before a person develops type 2 diabetes, they may begin to experience unregulated blood sugar levels and insulin resistance.
Cognitive Decline
When your brain health declines, that edge you once had may seem a little less edgy, and your ability to quickly recall information may be a bit slower. Cognitive health naturally declines with age, and you may notice you aren’t quite as sharp as you used to be. You may even begin to experience minor memory loss.
In addition to these symptoms, you’ll also notice signs of aging like drier skin and age spots, loss of muscle mass, changes in your digestive system (like constipation and irregularity), and even urinary incontinence.
These changes don’t paint an encouraging picture of the aging process. Still, the good news is that combining a healthy lifestyle and a research-backed focus on cellular health can help you decrease the symptoms of normal aging and help you feel better as you get older.
How To Biohack the Aging Process
Biohacking the aging process isn’t a single task and won’t happen overnight. You won't be surprised if you expect a list of lifestyle changes to include improving your diet and moving more. However, eating a balanced diet and regular exercise aren’t the only ways to achieve healthy aging.
Using what we know about cellular aging and observing how the oldest and healthiest populations live, we can take actionable steps to improve the aging process. To get started, let’s discuss the Blue Zones and how people across the planet live long, healthy lives.
What Are the Blue Zones?
In certain parts of the world known as Blue Zones, residents consistently live to be at least 100 years old. Not only do they live to be 100, though — they live healthfully.
These people aren’t bedridden and riddled with age-related illnesses. Instead, they move, socialize, and enjoy every aspect of their lives.
When researchers observed these people, they were able to note some commonalities in their lifestyles:
- Physical Activity: In Blue Zones, residents remain physically active, but the movement is natural. For instance, they garden, walk, swim, or play tennis. They aren’t hitting the gym for hours each day but are moving in an intentional way that fits with their lifestyles.
- Socialization: Older adults may suffer from isolation. Being lonely can lead to mental health problems and even increases a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 60%. In Blue Zones, residents remain socially active and engage with loved ones their age and younger adults.
- Stress Management: Across all Blue Zones, residents manage stress in healthy ways. Some residents rely on daily naps, while others enjoy meditation each day.
- Balanced Diet: In all of the Blue Zones, residents eat various healthy vegetables, fruits, legumes, and lean protein. These healthy diet patterns contribute to a healthy weight among Blue Zone residents.
Notably, researchers found that Blue Zone residents in Sardinia, Italy, had an ace up their sleeves. Their levels of a particular fatty acid known as C15:0 were three times higher than those found in most Americans and most people worldwide. This is likely due to the inclusion of high-C15:0-content cheeses made from local goats and sheep.
So what does C15:0 have to do with healthy aging, and how can you increase your levels without mountainous goat cheese? The answer might surprise you.
What Is the Connection Between C15:0 and Aging?
C15:0 is a research-backed, scientifically identified nutrient that can help reverse cellular aging and increase your healthspan. Discovered by a team of scientists studying longevity in bottlenose dolphins, and further studied in people, this simple nutrient is a key to improving our long-term health and wellness. Further, science supports that C15:0 addresses 6 of the hallmarks of aging, more than current leading longevity molecules such as rapamycin, metformin, and acarbose.
What Is C15:0?
C15:0 is an odd-chain, saturated fatty acid found primarily in whole dairy products like full-fat butter and whole milk. Although we’ve been told that all fat is bad, especially saturated fat, the reality is that not all fat (including some saturated fat) fits the bill.
C15:0, for example, is consistently associated with positive health outcomes, such as:
- Lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels
- Improved liver enzymes and liver health
- Stronger, healthier cells
- Increased mitochondrial function within cells, which leads to better cell function
- Improved gut microbiome for intestine health
In addition, the latest research shows that failure to get enough C15:0 in your diet can lead to a deficiency known as Cellular Fragility Syndrome, which can make our cells weak and more susceptible to aging. This condition is estimated to affect as many as one in three people worldwide.
What Is Cellular Fragility Syndrome and How Can You Test for It?
Cellular Fragility Syndrome is important because weak cells link to a specific type of cell death known as ferroptosis. In turn, ferroptosis has been linked to accelerated aging and numerous underlying illnesses (like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and NAFLD).
The only way to know for certain if you have this deficiency is by ordering the fatty15 C15:0 at-home test or having your doctor perform a screening. Additionally, you can determine the result of increasing your C15:0 levels by monitoring your complete blood count, fasting lipid panel, and liver enzymes.
C15:0 levels should be above 0.2% of your total fatty acids to prevent nutritional deficiencies and Cellular Fragility Syndrome. It’s worth noting that in blue zones (where people consistently live to be 100), C15:0 levels usually measure between 0.4% and 0.6% of total fatty acids.
The average person’s C15:0 levels are low, likely because most of us aren’t regularly consuming whole dairy on a daily basis. Even if we were, we’d be consuming a lot of unnecessary calories and “bad” even-chain saturated fat that isn’t good for our bodies.
The solution? Fatty15.
Elevate your cells. Elevate your self.
Buy NowWhat Is fatty15?
Fatty15 is the first and only supplement that contains the pure, vegan-friendly version of C15:0 known as FA15™. Each daily capsule contains enough C15:0 to increase your circulating levels and protect against Cellular Fragility Syndrome and the accelerated cellular aging that can happen as a result.
Fatty15 is made ready to absorb, so your body doesn’t have to work to break down this essential fatty acid from triglycerides like it would if you consumed whole dairy. At just one calorie per capsule, it’s also a better option for helping you maintain a healthy weight, which can be hard to achieve as we age.
As if that wasn’t enough, a recent randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study in the Journal of Nutrition has proven that fatty15 safely increases C15:0 levels, reverses Cellular Fragility Syndrome, and improves red blood cell and liver health. In short, it’s a tiny capsule with a single, powerful ingredient that can improve our healthspan and allow us to live healthier, for longer.
Put Aging on Pause
There’s no way to change chronological aging, but it’s possible to hack the process. In addition to getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, moving your body, and going in for your check-ups, you can take fatty15. Consider it the most proactive part of your day, like proving armor to your cells.
You’ll eventually notice signs of aging, but you can take steps to dial down their intensity and significantly reduce the rate at which your cells age — thanks to fatty15.
Sources:
Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe | PubMed
Hearing Loss: A Common Problem for Older Adults | National Institute on Aging
Eric Venn-Watson M.D.
CEO, Co-Founder
Senior Scientist, Co-Founder
Eric is a physician, U.S. Navy veteran, and Co-founder and COO of Seraphina Therapeutics. Eric served over 25 years as a Navy and Marine Corps physician, working with the special forces community to improve their health and fitness. Seraphina Therapeutics is a health and wellness company dedicated to advancing global health through the discovery of essential fatty acids and micronutrient therapeutics.
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