The secret to old age beauty

Although we all experience signs of ageing, some people just seem to have a better relationship with time and defy their age.

While chronological age, or the number of years you’ve been alive, is an unreliable indicator of how quickly your body will decline, biological age, on the other hand, which reflects your physical and functional ability, is a far more accurate measure.

Biological ageing is influenced by a complex mix of genetic traits, microbiome composition, environment, lifestyle, stress, diet, and exercise. Genetics, once thought to have no influence on ageing, have been shown to play a role, accounting for 20-30% of biological age. Environmental and lifestyle factors, including social connectedness, sleep, water consumption, exercise, and diet, also play an important role.

Although there is currently no effective test to predict an individual’s health trajectory and improve quality of life with age, researchers are exploring several promising molecular markers that may serve as biological age fingerprints, including epigenetic clocks, senescent cells, and metabolites.

This research is starting to show that delaying biological age may be one way to live healthier, fuller lives, even if the elusive fountain of youth remains unknown.