Telomeres: Evidence Our Food Choices Affect Longevity

What if you could measure the impact the foods you eat have on the length of your life? Might you change your mind about reaching for that bag of chips?

Research is revealing how different foods affect the length of our telomeres. Scientists consider these tiny caps at the end of each of our chromosomes to be a reliable mark of biological age and our risk of developing age-related diseases.

Foods That Affect Telomere Length

An article on a follow-up study published in The Lancet Oncology in 2013 by Dr. Dean Ornish, et al. showed the effect that comprehensive lifestyle changes, including diet, activity, stress management, and social support, could have on telomerase activity and telomere length.

Telomerase is an enzyme that can restore telomeres and potentially slow cellular aging.

Participants in the study ate a diet high in whole foods, plant-based protein, fruits, vegetables, unrefined grains, legumes, and low in fat (approximately 10 percent of calories) and refined carbohydrates.

The study found that at the end of the five-year follow-up, telomeres shortened in the control group (as would be expected after five years) and that in the lifestyle intervention group, telomeres actually increased in length.

A review published in Metabolism states that consuming antioxidant-rich, plant-derived foods helps to maintain telomere length.

The review also states that, by contrast, total and saturated fat intake and the consumption of refined flour cereals, meat, meat products, and sugary sweetened beverages are associated with shortened telomeres.

A five-year cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition stated that dietary factors affect telomere length through oxidation and inflammation-related mechanisms.

The study aimed to determine if diet-associated inflammation could modify the rate at which telomeres shorten after five years.

The analysis showed that diets with more anti-inflammatory potential could slow the rate of telomere shortening. Additionally, the participants eating a more inflammatory diet after a five-year follow-up had an almost two-fold higher risk of accelerated telomere shortening than those eating an anti-inflammatory diet.

The results suggest that diet plays a key role in determining telomere length through pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

A study published in Public Health Nutrition created a dietary inflammatory index to compare diverse populations on the inflammatory potential of their diets. It found some of the most inflammatory foods are saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats.

Saturated fats are found in foods including butter, ghee, suet, lard, coconut oil, and palm oil, cakes, biscuits, fatty cuts of meat, sausages, bacon, cured meats like salami, chorizo, and pancetta, as well as cheese, according to the NHS.

Cholesterol is also pro-inflammatory. Dietary cholesterol is a prominent steroid found in animal tissues. Primary food sources include egg yolk, shrimp, beef, pork, poultry, cheese, and butter.

Trans fat is another highly inflammatory food thought to accelerate the shortening of our telomeres. Foods that contain trans fats include commercial baked goods (cakes, cookies, and pies), shortening, microwave popcorn, frozen pizza, refrigerated dough (biscuits and rolls), fried foods (french fries, doughnuts, and fried chicken), non-dairy coffee creamer and margarine, according to the Mayo clinic.

Conversely, one of the most anti-inflammatory food components is fiber.

In a study on dietary fiber and telomere length in 5674 U.S. adults, researchers found that for each increase of one gram of fiber per 100 kcal, telomeres were 8.3 base pairs longer. Kcal is short for kilocalorie and represents energy expressed in 1000-calorie units.

The same study states that meta-analysis results indicate that for every 10-gram increase in fiber consumption, the risk of death decreases by 11 percent. When adults with high fiber intake were compared to those with low intake, mortality was 23 percent lower among those with high consumption.

What Are Telomeres, and Why Are They Important?

The word telomere comes from the Greek telos—meaning end—and meros—meaning part. Telomeres are the end parts of our chromosomes that protect our DNA.

Like the plastic tip at the end of a shoelace that protects the lace from fraying, telomeres protect our DNA from damage in the same way. Telomeres cap the ends of our chromosomes and protect our DNA by preventing chromosomes from breaking down and fusing with other chromosomes during replication.

Every time a cell divides, its telomeres get shorter, and the cell’s lifespan decreases resulting in cellular aging. Eventually, telomeres get so short that the cell can die.

Many scientists refer to telomeres as the molecular clock of our cells because as our age increases, our telomeres get shorter. But not everyone’s telomeres shorten at the same rate—some people’s telomeres shorten faster than others. Scientists have been trying to understand how and why.

Telomeres naturally shorten as we age, but research has shown that they are also shortened by smoking, alcohol, chronic stress, lack of exercise, obesity, and a poor diet.

Shortened telomeres have also been associated with increased risks of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other metabolic conditions.

Our Obsession With Living Forever (Or at Least, as Long as Possible)

Since the beginning of time, humans have been trying to extend our lives and cheat death—from the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Ancient Egyptians, and Chinese Daoists to elite athletes and Silicon Valley billionaires.

We have achieved at least part of that goal in the last 150 years and dramatically increased our lifespans. However, this feat is not due to magic elixirs or supernatural powers—it is mainly due to increased access to clean water, improved sanitation, and more people on the planet having access to basic medical care.

Based on the above research, it seems we can confidently add the foods we eat to the above list of factors that can increase our longevity.