20/02/2026
One way diet may influence aging is through telomere length.
Telomeres cap the ends of our chromosomes to keep our DNA from fraying, like the plastic tips on the ends of our shoelaces. Every time our cells divide, a bit of the telomere is lost, and once they get too short, the cell can die. That’s why telomeres are sometimes called the molecular clock of cells. Every year they get shorter and shorter, kind of like life’s fuse.
There is an enzyme in our cells called telomerase that can not only replenish the lost bits of our telomeres, but actually elongate them. How can we boost this enzyme to, in effect, reverse cellular aging?
Dr. Dean Ornish studied the effects of comprehensive lifestyle changes on telomerase activity and telomere length, using the same plant-based diet and lifestyle program shown to reverse the progression of heart disease, early-stage prostate cancer, and possibly even early-stage Alzheimer’s. The telomere length shortened in the participants in the control group, and they aged five years as expected. For those in the plant-based lifestyle group, however, their telomeres actually lengthened.
In How Not to Age, I cover every possible angle for developing the optimal diet and lifestyle for the longest, healthiest lifespan based on the best available balance of evidence.
Watch the video “What to Eat to Prevent Telomere Shortening” at https://bit.ly/3Y2jXsR
How Not to Age is out now! Borrow a copy from your local library or order one today: https://see.nf/HNTABook
Watch the trailer for my new book at https://see.nf/trailer.
As always, all proceeds I receive from all of my books are donated to charity.
PMID: 32103672, 29570620, 24051140, 26876763
