Chronic stress is a killer. It can make you three times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD). And it can cause depression.1
But the consequences don’t end there…
The latest research shows chronic stress can steal healthy years from your life in ways you may not expect. It robs you of a little-known gene that helps keep your brain, muscles, and skin young.2 It also helps you avoid physical and mental decline.
Researchers at UC San Francisco studied 90 women who were caretakers for autistic children. They made up the chronic stress group. Then there were the low stress and control groups.
They found women under chronic stress had 12% less of this anti-aging gene, called klotho, in their blood compared to the controls. And women from the stress group who also had moderate to severe depression—an indicator of long-term psychological stress—had even less.3
It’s normal for your stores of klotho to diminish with old age…4 But these women were only in their 30s and 40s. It means they’ll have an even greater chance of facing major health risks later in life.
And men… you’re not off the hook. Another study found low blood levels of klotho meant more signs of aging in men and women alike. On the other hand, higher levels may help you reverse signs of aging…and even live longer.
So how can you hold on to this important anti-aging gene?
First, you have to reduce your stress levels. Studies show deep breathing exercises can lower stress and boost your mood.
Another way to increase klotho levels is to get more vitamin D3. This can also help keep vascular calcification at bay. That’s the hardening of your veins due to calcium buildup…a common symptom of low klotho.5 You want to get at least 5,000 IU a day from a high-quality, whole food supplement. But you can get more—about 10,000 IU—from soaking up just 10 minutes of direct sunlight.
In Good Health,
Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch
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References:
1http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2011/health-risk.aspx
2http://www.ellisonfoundation.org/content/regulation-aging-and-sirt1-hormone-klotho
3http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v5/n6/full/tp201581a.html
4http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2015/06/130516/longevity-hormone-lower-stressed-and-depressed-women
5http://www.nature.com/ki/journal/v82/n12/full/ki2012338a.html