How to Lengthen Your Telomeres So You (Hopefully) Live Longer

Pineapples and mangos in a bin at a market

I want to live as long as possible. That may seem like a sentiment shared by all, but some people would rather not go beyond 75. Not me. I love living, and I want to live as fully as I can for as long as I can. I believe humans can meaningfully contribute to society even very late in life. 125? Sounds great. More years to do all the things I want to do!

Given my attitude toward aging, I’m interested in research that studies longevity. I find the concept of telomeres fascinating. Telomeres are “the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes,” and they shorten as your cells divide. When they get too short, the cells die. If you are genetically predisposed to suffer from heart disease, for example, you’ll likely develop it sooner if you have shorter telomeres.

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