Silver and Gold Magazine Winter 2014-2015 | Page 28

AreTelomeres the key to aging and cancer?
– Courtesy of the University of Utah, Health Sciences

Inside the nucleus of a cell, our genes are arranged

along twisted, double-stranded molecules of DNA called
chromosomes. At the ends of the chromosomes are stretches
of DNA called telomeres, which protect our genetic data,
make it possible for cells to divide, and hold some secrets to
how we age and get cancer.
Telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on
shoelaces, because they keep chromosome ends from fraying
and sticking to each other, which would destroy or scramble
an organism’s genetic information.
Yet, each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. When
they get too short, the cell can no longer divide; it becomes
inactive or “senescent” or it dies. This shortening process is
associated with aging, cancer, and a higher risk of death.

Soda Pop can age you
as much as smoking
Research published in the American Journal of Public
Health claims that drinking soda on a daily basis ages your
immune cells to a degree similar to that of a daily smoking
habit. To reach this conclusion, the researchers studied the
effect of sugary sodas on human telomeres.
Study author Elissa Epel, PhD and her team analyzed data
from 5,309 adults in the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES). They found that people
who drank more sugary soda tended to have shorter telomeres.
Drinking an 8-ounce daily serving of soda corresponded to
1.9 years of additional aging, and drinking a daily 20-ounce
serving was linked to 4.6 more years of aging.•

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