A fast and stressful life shortens telomeres!

President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, participated in the Young Life Symposium titled “Aging Without Growing Old” organized by the Young Life Association. In his presentation titled “Longevity Philosophy: Prescriptions for a Healthy and Long Life”, Tarhan discussed the secrets of longevity through the triangle of mind, brain, and body. Highlighting examples of super-aging and the importance of social connectedness, Tarhan noted that a fast and stressful lifestyle shortens telomeres, in other words, shortens life span.

The symposium, which brought together scientists from various disciplines, was held at DoubleTree Hilton Piyalepaşa.

“Our genetic algorithm is built on survival”

Discussing the mechanisms underlying cell death, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that “There are programmed cell deaths. When the time comes, cells including neurons die through a predetermined mechanism. On the other hand, there are anti-apoptotic processes. There is a balance between programmed and unprogrammed cell proliferation. Diseases can slow down or accelerate apoptosis, the programmed cell death, affecting telomere length, and this is where anti-apoptotic genes become active. It is also linked to life span and autophagy. These mechanisms affect cell deaths. Rapamycin and nutrition are extremely important here. The activation of TOR plays a critical role. Fasting, autophagy, and the recently popular intermittent fasting are all part of this mechanism. When the body remains hungry for a certain period, the brain goes on alert. We see a similar mechanism in plants in florists’ practices. When a flower does not produce seeds or buds, they place it in a dark space and after a few days, the plant says ‘I am dying’ and produces buds out of a survival instinct. Then the flower revitalizes. A similar mechanism exists in humans. When blood sugar drops, apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes become active. The signal ‘I will die, I must survive’ emerges because our genetic algorithm is built on survival. The drop in blood glucose is very important for triggering autophagy and DNA repair.”

“Stress management is crucial for longevity”

Touching on key factors in long life, Tarhan said that “Neurodevelopment, epigenetics, and neuroplasticity play major roles in aging. Super-aging is also a fascinating phenomenon. These individuals perform at the level of a 55-year-old in attention and memory tests despite being 80 years old. Studies show that they typically lead active lives, are social, reward themselves occasionally, and approach life events with optimism. Many of them drink alcohol and smoke, but likely within the limits of social drinking. Smoking is probably less than five cigarettes a day. This should not be understood as recommending alcohol or cigarettes because some people have genetic predispositions and cannot remain social drinkers once they start. Their IQs are average, so super-aging is not related to intelligence. Additionally, their anterior cingulate cortex is thicker compared to age-matched controls. This area was also thick in Einstein. The anterior cingulate cortex regulates emotions and enables staying calm under stress. This is why stress management is vital for longevity.”

See the negative, stay positive!

Emphasizing that a completely stress-free life is impossible, Tarhan continued his remarks as follows: “The truth about telomeres is very important. Telomeres were once considered junk DNA, but not anymore. In our university hospitals, geneticists have begun longevity studies. They can measure telomere length and, after 12 months, determine whether a person is likely to live above the average based on the rate of shortening. Depending on lifestyle, the 12-month shortening period can be extended to 13 or even 15 months. Clinical conditions that accelerate telomere shortening include obesity, chronic inflammation, high cholesterol, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. All of these shorten telomeres rapidly. The greatest threat to telomeres is a fast and stressful lifestyle. Just like running a car at high RPM constantly wears out its parts quickly, living fast wears out telomeres. Therefore, stress control is critical for longevity. A life without stress is neither possible nor healthy. Controlled stress is beneficial; uncontrolled stress shortens telomeres. On the other hand, living in neutral gear does not lengthen telomeres either; it triggers obesity. See the negative but stay positive. A person needs to live with a sense of purpose and meaning.”

We must make good use of flexibility

Drawing attention to neuroplasticity, Tarhan added: “Without the frontal lobe, civilization would not exist. The key concept here is neuroplasticity. The brain is essentially a plastic organ. The better we use this flexibility, the stronger the brain’s ability to renew itself and adapt.”

“Our calves are our second heart”

Explaining the secrets of healthy living, Tarhan said: “Healthy breathing is extremely important, and so is developing the alveoli. Just like other bodily mechanisms… For instance, the calf muscle is called the second heart. A 2014 study showed that taking at least 5,000 steps a day is necessary to keep the body from ‘rusting.’ During this walking activity, the vessels in the calf work like a pump and truly create a second-heart effect. This study was conducted in Canada in 2014 and confirmed this. So we can indeed say that our calves are our second heart. Another important point is having a colorful plate. The Mediterranean diet is essential due to folic acid and many other vitamins and minerals. Prebiotics and probiotics are also crucial for gut microbiota. Prebiotics create the foundation for probiotics, while foods such as kefir and yogurt contain live organisms and are therefore considered probiotics. Taking them in balanced amounts is necessary to support beneficial bacteria.”

We need to change the habits we notice in ourselves

Tarhan emphasized the importance of using different pathways in the brain: “To improve neuroplasticity, it is very important not to use the same route all the time, not to use the same objects, and not to be overly familiar with the same things. When we change the habits we notice in ourselves and redirect our actions, we activate different pathways in the brain. The brain is like a valley: if you irrigate one part of the valley, that area becomes lush and green, while the part you don’t water remains dry and yellow. The same applies to the brain. Whichever area we ‘water,’ that area develops. If you use all parts of the valley, the entire valley grows; likewise, if you use all parts of the brain, the whole brain develops. There is a sensory integration therapy used for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. This therapy uses a sensory integration profile test that measures many areas such as fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory skills, language skills, social skills, and emotional skills. When this therapy is started early in children at risk for autism so that they use all areas of the brain, the entire brain begins to function actively. Now, however, in children constantly glued to computers and social media, a picture resembling ‘learned autism’ is emerging. They use the brain’s social and digital areas very well but struggle to sit down and have a proper conversation with someone. Serious deficiencies appear in emotional and social skills.”

“Achieving the balance of health, wealth, unity, and wisdom is crucial”

Emphasizing that balance is essential for a happy life, Tarhan continued his remarks as follows: “In Maslow’s Psychosocial Hierarchy of Needs, we have always known self-actualization to be at the top, that is what we were taught. However, before Maslow passed away, he actually placed self-transcendence at the very top of the hierarchy. This was brought to light in 2017 by a researcher. We can say that the capitalist system deliberately kept this hidden. So, what is self-transcendence? Helping others, spiritual needs… In other words, at the highest point of a person’s psychosocial hierarchy of needs lies the ability to transcend oneself. A person will not live only for themselves but for a higher purpose, for a value, for humanity, for society, for the universe, for existence. When people live with such a high purpose, they can transcend themselves and find true fulfillment. That is why self-transcendence is so important. Health, wealth, unity, wisdom… often expressed as healthy, wealthy, wisdom. Achieving this balance is extremely important.”