Understanding Biological vs. Chronological Ageing

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to defy ageing while others look and feel older than their years? This difference comes down to two types of ageing: chronological and biological. Chronological age is simply the number of years you've been alive, but biological age reflects the condition of your body at the cellular level, and it determines how healthy and energetic you feel as you grow older.

Your biological age doesn’t always match your chronological age. For example, when I first did my GlycanAge test, I found out I was biologically 7 years older than my actual age due to an inflammatory condition. It was a real wake-up call! But the good news is, through some targeted lifestyle changes, I managed to reverse my biological ageing. Now, my GlycanAge shows me as more than 20 years younger than my chronological age. And if I can do it, so can you.

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Factors That Accelerate Ageing

There are certain factors that accelerate ageing, causing damage at the cellular level and making us more vulnerable to disease:

- Exposure to Toxins: Everyday exposure to chemicals like PFAs (found in household products) or heavy metals can trigger changes in your DNA, speeding up ageing.

- Chronic Stress: Ongoing stress causes hormonal imbalances and wears down your body, accelerating the ageing process.

- Smoking and Hyperglycaemia: Both smoking and high blood sugar levels damage cells and increase your biological age.

- Poor Diet: Overeating, particularly sugar and processed foods, contributes to inflammation and makes your body age faster.

- Trauma: Emotional and physical trauma can impact the way your immune system functions, leading to chronic inflammation.

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Factors That Slow Down Ageing

On the flip side, many factors can help slow down biological ageing and improve your health:

- Gut Health: A healthy microbiome supports your immune system, reduces inflammation, and keeps your biological age in check.

- Balanced Hormones: Maintaining healthy levels of hormones like DHEA and cortisol helps your body manage stress and recover more effectively.

- Healthy Fats: Consuming omega-3 fatty acids and other healthy fats reduces inflammation and supports brain function.

- Good Sleep and Stress Management: Hormones like melatonin and serotonin, which regulate sleep and mood, are crucial for slowing down the ageing process.

- Exercise: Physical activity improves cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles, and boosts the immune system, all of which contribute to slower ageing.

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Epigenetics: How Your Environment Shapes Your Ageing

One of the most fascinating aspects of ageing is epigenetics—the science of how your environment and lifestyle impact the expression of your genes. While you might have genetic predispositions to certain conditions, how those genes are expressed depends largely on your exposome—the sum of everything you’ve been exposed to throughout your life.

Your exposome includes your mother’s health during pregnancy, the food you eat, toxins you encounter, and even your relationships and emotions. All these exposures affect how your genes function. Studies show that 93% of your health outcomes are shaped by your environment, while only 7% are determined by your genes. This means that while you can’t change your genes, you can absolutely change how they behave by controlling your environment.

Functional Medicine: A Targeted Approach to Ageing

This is where functional medicine comes in. Through advanced testing, functional medicine helps you identify specific areas where you might be ageing faster and create a personalised plan to slow down that process. Tests like GlycanAge can measure your biological age by analysing glycans, which reflect inflammation and immune function. Genetic tests can also show how your body processes nutrients, detoxifies, or manages stress.

For example, I discovered that my biological age was driven up by inflammation, so I focused on anti-inflammatory strategies like improving my gut health, managing stress, and optimising my diet. These simple but targeted changes helped me lower my GlycanAge by over 20 years. Imagine how that feels—being biologically younger than your chronological age! It’s made a world of difference in how I feel every day.

But every person’s ageing process is different, which is why functional medicine can help pinpoint exactly where you need to focus. Take one of my patients, for example: her main concern was around glucose management. After a GlycanAge test showed her biological age was 9 years higher than her actual age, she focused on intermittent fasting and cutting back on sugar. With those two changes alone, she managed to lower her biological age by 9 years!

Practical Takeaways: How to Start Slowing Down Your Biological Age

If you’re ready to take control of your biological ageing, here are some simple steps you can start today:

1. Manage Your Stress: Practice mindfulness, meditation, or other stress-relieving activities to lower cortisol levels and reduce inflammation.

2. Improve Your Diet: Focus on anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens, healthy fats (omega-3s), and foods rich in fibre for gut health. Reducing sugar and processed foods can make a huge difference.

3. Prioritise Sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night to allow your body to recover and repair.

4. Exercise Regularly: Physical activity is key to keeping your biological age in check. Try a mix of strength training and cardio to support your heart, muscles, and metabolism.

5. Consider Functional Testing: Tests like GlycanAge or genetic testing can provide insights into your specific ageing pathways and help you create a targeted plan to slow down the process.

Building Resilience for Healthy Ageing

The key to slowing down ageing isn’t about avoiding stress or exposure to toxins altogether—some stress is actually good for you. It’s about building resilience. By making strategic lifestyle changes, you can strengthen your body’s ability to detoxify, repair, and recover. Functional medicine can guide you to focus on areas that matter most for your unique biology.

So, are you ready to take control of your ageing process? It’s never too late to start making changes that will improve not only the length of your life but the quality of your health for years to come.

Feel free to reach out if you want to learn more about how functional medicine and personalised testing can help you slow down biological ageing and live a more vibrant life.

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