There was a very interesting story today from NBC News discussing a report that was published in Lancet Oncology, where the research team studied how lifestyle changes in diet, exercise and stress reduction resulted in people with longer telomeres.

Telomeres you say?  It is said they are like the tips on the ends of your shoelaces, only they’re on the tips of our chromosomes that carry DNA.  Telomere length shortens with age, affecting our health and lifespan.  But the good news is, recent studies indicate we can slow the shortening of our telomeres by making healthy changes in the way we eat and live.

In fact, the research just recently reported in Lancet Oncology indicates these lifestyle changes can actually lengthen our telomeres!  Dr. Dean Ornish, who is well known for his research about the benefits of a low-fat, vegetarian diet, was one of the people who headed up the study,  and I love his quote at the end of the article:

“People often think that it has to be a new drug or a new laser, something really high-tech and expensive to be powerful. What we are finding is the simple choices that we make every day are more powerful.”

You can read more about telomeres at the National Institute of Health:  Telomeres, lifestyle, cancer and aging.