There May Be A Biological Reason You Look Older Than Your Friends

As natural as aging is, most people don't want to do it before their time. Thanks to society's preoccupation with maintaining youth, many of us do everything we can to look and feel young for as long as possible. But even if you incorporate retinol into your skincare routine and use the best sunscreen for your skin, some factors that contribute to aging are unfairly out of your control. Biological aging, which is different from chronological aging, is influenced by genetics, and sadly, Botox can't help.

The connection comes down to telomeres, which exist at the end of your chromosomes. Functioning like a lid, they stop the chromosomes from tangling, but they shorten when a cell divides — or in response to cortisol-releasing stress. The cell dies when the telomeres become so short that they can no longer do their job. So, naturally, shorter telomeres lead to faster biological aging, regardless of your chronological age. The bad news? A 2015 study published in Molecular Psychiatry found that girls whose mothers had major depressive disorder (MDD) were not only at an increased risk of developing MDD themselves, but also had shorter telomeres than their peers. In other words, they were biologically aging faster. Notably, this correlation occurred even before the girls themselves developed symptoms of depression — the accelerated aging was purely down to their familial history. Regardless of whether they experienced depression, girls with that history tended to release higher levels of cortisol.

"We thought we'd see cortisol start to rise in the teenage girls closer to the beginnings of a depressive episode, but we saw elevated cortisol levels years before ..." explained the psychologist behind the study, Dr. Ian Gotlib (via Stanford Report). If you look older than your friends, a family history of MDD may be a factor. But while you can't change your genes (if only!), it is possible to prevent this accelerated biological aging.

Unfortunately, we can't pick the medical predispositions that we inherit. For those who are more likely to experience MDD, and may therefore biologically age at an advanced rate, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to increase telomere length. But for something more accessible, affordable lifestyle changes may slow the process down. According to 2011 research published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, regular exercise is one way to delay telomere shortening, as is incorporating certain foods and reducing the intake of others. In particular, unprocessed whole grains, fruits, and antioxidant-rich sources like tomatoes, black raspberries, red grapes, broccoli, kiwi, chia seeds, and green tea can help to maintain telomere length. Substantial fiber and healthy fats (such as those that come from salmon, tuna, nuts, and avocados) are also vital, as are certain sources of protein.

It may come as a surprise to fitness influencers who are obsessed with upping protein intake, but some types of protein can actually indirectly contribute to telomere shortening, as can smoking, exposure to environmental pollution, and, of course, stress. The 2011 study found that getting enough soy protein had a positive effect on telomere length, but protein derived from high-fat animal sources may contribute to inflammation, which can lead to telomere shortening.

Meanwhile, 2013 research from the University of California, San Francisco published in The Lancet Oncology found that study participants who walked at least 30 minutes a day for six days a week, ate a plant-based diet low in fat and refined carbs, and engaged in stress-relieving yoga poses (some of which you can do at your desk while working!), meditation, and a weekly support group, were able to actually increase their telomere length. So, while it may seem bleak for those with a family history of MDD, the study's author, Dean Ornish, M.D., makes a good point: "Our genes, and our telomeres, are not necessarily our fate."

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.