Why do we age? This question may sound simple, but the answer isn't so straightforward. Aging is still considered a mystery. In fact, the process of aging remains one of the least understood phenomena in biology. How does the aging process proceed, and what mechanisms are involved? Can it be slowed down or perhaps even stopped? Gerontology, the study of aging, addresses these and similar research questions.
We have summarized the most important research findings for you below.
Most multicellular organisms age – including humans. This refers to a biological process characterized by the progressive loss of physiological integrity.¹ This means that the older we get, the more frequently we experience ailments. This can lead to health impairments and even serious illnesses. The risk of death increases. But why exactly? Gerontologists view aging as a side effect caused by physical processes such as growth.² Accordingly, aging itself has no biological function – it seems more like a side effect of what happens in our bodies over the years.
Strictly speaking, we begin aging from birth.³ We grow and thrive, continue to develop, and at some point our bodies reach full maturity. From this point on, the actual aging process begins – and it continues to progress. However, the human aging process does not occur gradually, but in phases. As a research team from the Stanford University School of Medicine and from Singapore was able to show, there are two phases in which we age particularly rapidly: at 44 and at 60.⁴ The scientists examined blood, saliva, and other sample material from their test subjects and found that significant molecular changes occur around the 44th and 60th birthdays. Apparently, certain restructuring processes take place in the body at these times, indicating the onset or onset of pathological changes. The result: The aging process accelerates.
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the human aging process? Gray hair and wrinkled skin? Sure, these physical characteristics make it easy to tell that a person is getting older. But the aging process doesn't just happen externally; it also happens internally. And cognitively, a lot also changes as we age. Let's take a closer look at what exactly happens during aging. Below, we've listed the hallmarks of aging.
The skin is our largest organ and the most visible organ. It's no wonder we notice age-related changes here most quickly. Over the course of our lives, our skin becomes looser and drier. Fine lines form, which eventually turn into deep wrinkles. The reason: skin cells renew more slowly. In addition, the effects of UV radiation become visible, for example in the form of pigment spots.⁵
Muscle loss is also part of the natural aging process. This is because the metabolism of your muscle cells changes over the years: The body increasingly stores connective tissue and fatty tissue in the muscles. This reduces overall muscle mass, while individual muscles become weaker. At the same time, it becomes increasingly difficult for us to build new muscle as we age.⁶ Incidentally, the heart is also affected by this: As the aging process progresses, the heart muscle also accumulates more connective tissue and fatty tissue, causing it to lose its performance.
Starting at age 30, your body's bone mass begins to decrease. This makes bones more brittle, increasing the risk of fractures. This particularly affects people with vitamin D deficiency and postmenopausal women. After menopause, the production of the female sex hormone estrogen, which has bone-protecting properties, declines.⁷
What is presbyopia? It's not a disease per se, but rather a consequence of the natural aging process: The lens becomes stiffer in middle age and therefore increasingly difficult to focus. This makes it harder to see objects close up.⁸ The perception of distant objects is not affected, by the way.
As we age, pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and fungi find it easier to attack our bodies. This is because the effectiveness of our immune system declines during the aging process: For example, two of the body's defense lines, macrophages and T cells, respond increasingly slowly to antigens. This explains why older adults are more susceptible to infectious diseases. The onset of certain cancers and autoimmune diseases in old age can also be the result of this altered immune response.⁹
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Like many other organs, the kidneys also lose function. At the same time, the bladder and pelvic floor muscles weaken, causing more frequent urges to urinate. Bowel movements slow down, and fewer digestive secretions are produced—which is why older people are prone to gastrointestinal problems such as constipation and intestinal inflammation.
The aging process also leaves its mark on your brain. It matures and grows until you're around 25 years old—afterward, brain mass decreases and nerve cell activity also changes.¹⁰ The older you get, the more clearly you feel the consequences: information is processed more slowly, attention decreases, and concentration diminishes.
The more advanced the aging process, the higher the risk of developing a chronic disease. In particular, some neurological and psychiatric disorders, as well as certain diseases of the musculoskeletal system and the cardiovascular system, are considered typical age-related diseases—although, of course, younger people can also be affected. These include:¹¹
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As we age, our bodies find it increasingly difficult to repair damage to DNA, cells, and tissue structures—which can lead to the well-known signs of aging, from Alzheimer's to diabetes.¹² Is it our genes, our diet, or rather our lifestyle and habits that determine why some people age faster than others?
Scientists assume that genetics plays a rather minor role in this. While genes have been identified that have a positive effect on longevity, the influence of our genes on the aging process is estimated at only about 20 percent.¹³ This means that environmental factors largely determine whether we age healthily, stay fit for a long time, and reach old age. The good news: We have a lot of control over this ourselves.
A healthy lifestyle can help positively influence the natural aging process. With simple yet effective habits, you can improve your quality of life and maintain your well-being well into old age. The following tips contribute to a healthy lifestyle that will positively influence your natural aging process:
The dream of eternal youth is probably as old as humanity itself. But why do we have such a hard time with aging? And are there ways to slow down—or even stop—the aging process?
For many people, the aging process is associated with suffering and a loss of self-determination.¹⁴ The prospect of gradually losing certain abilities and becoming dependent on the help of others frightens us. Therefore, intensive research is being conducted into how we can live longer and healthier lives. While some researchers believe that we could theoretically live forever, others want to find a way to extend our lifespan without being plagued by age-related ailments. A 90-year-old person, for example, would then be as physically and mentally fit as a 50-year-old.
Did you know? Although our average life expectancy has increased significantly in recent decades, our maximum lifespan has hardly increased, if at all.¹⁵ Most scientists currently assume that the maximum human life expectancy is around 120 years. However, it is still unclear whether there really is a natural age limit.¹⁶ The goal of aging research is to ensure that as many people as possible can reach old age and good health. The aim is to keep the phase in which age-related diseases become more common as short as possible. To achieve this, new drugs for diabetes and cancer are currently being developed. In addition, promising active ingredients with a potentially life-prolonging effect on humans are continually being tested in animal experiments. So far, however, there is no "miracle cure" that could stop or even reverse the aging process.
We can dye our hair, use anti-wrinkle creams, and undergo cosmetic surgery—but such external factors don't affect the natural aging process that takes place inside our bodies. Whether we age healthily and stay fit for as long as possible has less to do with our "outside" than with our lifestyle.
Signs of aging are therefore not a matter of fate, but a matter of lifestyle and care. By treating our bodies well, we can support the aging process at a healthy pace and maintain our quality of life well into old age.
Regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and a healthy diet are the keys to a long life. NEOaging helps you achieve this: Our products like Healthy Aging Complex and Cell Booster , which are also available as a Beauty Bundle , contain high-quality nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, to ensure you're always optimally nourished. Because for us, NEOaging means a new way of aging – slow and healthy.
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