Causes of cellular aging
The human body undergoes a steady aging process after the age of 25, that is, after its vitality optimum, due to two main biochemical mechanisms of cellular aging.
- Aging of the cells
- Decrease in hormone production
Scientists try to explain the mechanisms of cellular aging through numerous “theories of aging”. Individual risk factors such as incorrect behaviors, diseases and oxidative stress additionally accelerate the aging process.
Behaviors that accelerate the aging process
- Diets – vegan, raw foodists.
- Incorrect or unbalanced eating habits – intake of high amounts of energy from fat, protein, sugar and alcohol – Disturbed acid-base balance.
- Canteen food – too little fresh fruit and vegetables and milk and dairy products, etc.
- Diets – reduction diet, food combining diet, other diets.
- Fasting cures – total fasting (zero diet), modified fasting.
- Stimulants – such as tobacco, alcohol
- Occupational and emotional stress – for example, double burden of work and household.
- Too short and irregular rest and recovery times
- Lack of sleep
- Competitive sports or heavy physical labor or lack of exercise
Diseases that accelerate the aging process
- Absorption disorders caused by chronic diseases of the digestive system – stomach – gastritis, gastric resection, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome – small intestine – acute and chronic enteritis, radiation enteritis, Crohn’s disease, small bowel resection – colon – ulcerative colitis.
- Diabetes mellitus
- Obesity (overweight)
- Metabolic syndrome – clinical name for the symptom combination obesity – overweight, hypertension – high blood pressure, elevated fasting blood glucose (insulin resistance) and dyslipidemia (elevated VLDL triglycerides, lowered HDL cholesterol).
- Atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis, arteriosclerosis) – typical sequelae are hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary heart disease – disease of the coronary vessels, apoplexy (stroke).
- Depression
Oxidative stress is another important factor in the aging process.
Gender changes that accelerate the aging process
The specific aging processes of women, which likewise accelerate the aging processes, are described in the chapter “Menopause of women (menopause )”, and those of men in the chapters “Menopause of men (andropause )” and “Erectile dysfunction“. Both sexes are equally affected by the aforementioned adrenopause and somatopause, respectively, which are presented below.