Stress accelerates aging — It makes time pass faster in the cells of our body.
Stress accelerates cellular aging, research shows. However, some people can counteract it. The key is mental resilience, which can be practiced and increased.
The last two decades have brought scientists the ability to measure the rate at which the body’s cells age. Researchers at Yale University in the US decided to measure whether this was affected by stress levels. In doing so, they used the measurement of DNA methylation.
Methylation is the process by which small molecules called methyl groups are attached to the bases that make up the DNA strand. It consists of a carbon atom and three hydrogen atoms. Its attachment causes genes to be turned off. This happens primarily during the development of the body — some genes responsible for developing tissues and organs must be turned off. But DNA methylation levels also increase over time, as we age. It is a good indicator of biological age, which does not necessarily agree with calendar age.
It hasn’t been known for a long time that the passage of time is a little kinder to some. The Yale researchers were interested in whether the body’s aging rate and methylation levels are related to stress. It turned out that they do.
Evidence that stress speeds up aging
In a paper published in Translational Psychiatry, researchers report that stress actually makes time pass faster in the cells of our bodies. However, this can be prevented and “slow down time” — at least the biological one. Improving resistance to stress through better control of emotions helps to do this.
The research included 444 adults ranging in age from 19 to 50. Their blood was drawn to determine the methylation level of their DNA. The participants also answered questions. Some asked about perceived levels of stress, while others were designed to ascertain levels of resilience to stress.
When the researchers analyzed the statistics, they found that people experiencing more stress, especially chronic stress, had more markers in their DNA indicating faster aging. Their blood tests also indicated poorer health. For example, they were also more likely to have insulin resistance (a condition in which the body’s cells stop responding to insulin, leading to type two diabetes).
The effect of stress on the rate of aging was significant even after accounting for smoking, body mass index, and income which are all examples of risk factors.
Stress does not affect everyone equally. Resistance to stress can be increased.
However, stress did not affect everyone equally. Those who performed better in the stress tolerance test also had better body health. Two components were found to be important in contributing to this psychological resilience to stress.
“The study shows that the popular belief is true: stress speeds up aging,” says Zachary Havranek, one of the study’s authors.
The study also suggests that such adverse effects of stress can be reduced by improving emotion regulation and self-control.
“In other words, the more resilient to stress we become, the more likely we are to live long and healthy lives. — We all believe that we have some influence over our own lives”, says Prof Rajita Sinha.
It is good to reinforce this belief so that we also invest in our resilience and mental health.
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