Ever Heard of Health Span?

 Have you ever thought about how long you are going to live healthy rather than simply how long you are going to stay alive?

Scientists are now trying to shift the focus of the medical community in optimizing health span, the period when we are disease-free rather than just prolonging life span and endure the pain that comes with aging.

 

What is Health Span?

Health span is a length of time that a person is healthy and not just being alive. Advancements in technology and continuous research have made it possible for people to invest into the concept of healthy aging: to preserve the physical and mental health and achieve a good quality of life in the elder years. 

The Science of Health Span

It is important to know about the root causes of inevitable aging concerns to serve as the first step to working into our health span. Here are three cells in the body that are involved in the science of aging: 

Senescent Cells

Cells expire and go on endless divisions. Long segments of DNA called Telomere serves as protection to the cells once they divide so they remain strong. However, they shrink in time with every division and the cells that ran out of Telomeres turn senescent. The number of these old cells grows as you age, and until death, they remain inside the body. These are then linked to various diseases such as diabetes and kidney failure.

NAD+

NAD+ or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is a coenzyme found in every cell of the body and is involved in hundreds of metabolic processes. However, as we age in about ten years gap, the NAD+ loses half of what it used to have, and the processes involved become less organized and less effective, which may lead to various illnesses such as skin cancer, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s, and more. 

Stem Cells

Stem cells are special human cells that have the ability to develop into many types, from muscle cells to brain cells. These cells copy themselves to produce a steady flow of fresh, young ones. In some cases, they also have the ability to repair damaged tissues. However, inevitably, they also decline along as we age and that could cause human bodies to become weaker.

Important findings are presented in this video that included breakthroughs in boosting NAD+ levels which are also confirmed in recently concluded human trials.

YouTube video courtesy of Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

 

How is it measured?

Over the years there have been developing biomarkers, which are a combination of lifestyle factors that contribute and affect the healthspan. There are no current statistics for the average health span unlike with life span, and research is ongoing to continuously seek all possible factors. Main biomarkers are as follows:

• Smoking
• Physical activities
• BMI
• Food consumption
• Environment

Prevention Over Treatment

There are various approaches to work on your health span, from lifestyle habits to prescribed supplements.

Molecular Treatments

• Health supplements involving NAD+ and other appropriate nutrients
• Antioxidants
• Anti-aging or longevity-promoting therapies

Non-Molecular Treatments

• Take healthy balanced diet
• Practice regular exercise
• Avoid smoking 
• Limit alcohol intake
• Practice healthy food consumption 

Statistics show that while most of us are living longer, the condition of the body gets worse, which doesn’t make much of happy news. Advances in the study of aging are now looking at attacking aging from the very basic unit of life – the cells. Our Cell Revival and NAD Revival include ingredients that help boost your NAD levels. It is our aim to help people age gracefully and beautifully.