Aging refers to the changes occurring in the body of an organism over time. These changes are associated with the wear and tear of the body tissues and the loss of vitality and functionality as the years pass.
The Onset Of Aging
From the time when you’re born till death, your body undergoes a series of physical, mental, and social changes as a response to the external and internal forces. One of the significant changes in your body is the hormonal level. Hormones regulate most of the physical and mental processes, including your bone and muscle density, skin elasticity, tissue health, your strength, resistance power, and ability to react and concentrate.
Although the nature of change in hormones varies in individuals, you can start noticing the signs of aging as you enter your 20s. Wrinkles, fine lines, graying hair, drying skin, sagginess of skin are all indications that the level of your anti-aging hormone (Human Growth Hormone) has begun to dwindle.
The aging forces are in their prime now!
Aging At Its Peak
As you reach the 30s, your tissues lose their elasticity. By the time you approach 40, your vital organs like liver and heart start losing their functional power. That’s why doctors advise you to take extra care of your body through proper diet and exercise. As you enter the 50s, you might notice your vision or hearing getting weak. You may also experience muscle and joint problems due to decreased bone and muscle density. Enter 60 and you are hit by old age diseases like diabetes, arthritis, and heart disorders.
The aging forces have snatched your youth!
Free Radicals – The Hidden Force Behind Aging
The existence of free radicals in our body has been mentioned in the ancient literature. Today, medical science has admitted that free radicals and glycosylation contributes to health as well as diseased conditions in an organism. However, not all radicals are detrimental. Some of them are totally natural and necessary for proper metabolic functions.
Our body has many molecules with weak bonds. When such bonds break, these molecules become free radicals. It’s still not known why a little oxidative reaction in the body leads to free radical formation. Also, such harmful radicals are formed by ionizing radiation such as ultra violet, light, and other radiations that are found in the atmosphere.
Perhaps this explains why mariners appear older than their actual age. They are exposed to UV radiation and light constantly. This dehydrates their skin and its collagen gets hard and thick. As a result, their skin becomes dry and shows wrinkles.
Free radicals are also formed due to radioactivity. In addition to this, there are many other chemicals and synthetic compounds that can form free radicals in your body. Free radicals are quite unstable. They instantly react with the stable molecules next to them. When this happens, the molecule loses its electron and becomes a free radical itself. The process continues and a chain reaction is formed. Ultimately, it may lead to the destruction of the living cell.
Thus, the more the number of harmful free radicals in your body, the older you look. External forces such as pollution, cigarette smoke, and chemicals like pesticides and herbicides also contribute to the formation of free radicals.
So, now you realize why chain smokers look 10 years older than their actual age. Imagine the number of free radicals forming in their body through chain reaction with each cigarette that they puff on!
In a nutshell, there are a large number of aging forces working on your body. As you’re reading this, at this very moment, there might be more than one force busy stealing your youth!
Now, it’s up to you to surrender to these forces and let those wrinkles adorn your face at just 30 years of age; or start working on maintaining your youth as long as you can.