Can Certain Foods Increase Telomere Length?

Telomeres tell medical professionals how well their patient’s cells are aging. Ideally, they will be healthy and strong. This allows them to successfully fight off mutations or degeneration in your body. Telomeres are made of shelterin, proteins that work to prevent your DNA from becoming damaged. It’s normal for telomeres to shorten during the aging process, but with telomere testing at Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers, board-certified physician Dr. Avi Ishaaya can analyze these chromosomal changes before they begin to affect your health. Shorter telomeres tell him when you are more likely to develop certain disorders or diseases, including cancer. During an initial consultation at his Los Angeles, CA office, we can perform this important testing to determine if you’re experiencing short telomere length.

What happens when a telomere shortens?

Most of the time, telomere shortening occurs because of poor lifestyle choices. Patients who live a sedentary life, who smoke, are overweight or obese, or have a poor diet all can experience telomere shortening, leading to a shorter life. When telomeres shorten, it tells your cells to regenerate less healthy cells. This allows them to produce mutations that can lead to diseases, such as cancer. The symptoms you may feel from this shortening vary; however, it can affect all organs in your body. This is why telomere testing is so important for patients of all ages in Los Angeles, CA. Telomere testing allows Dr. Ishaaya to both diagnose and treat disorders or diseases caused by shortened telomeres.

What happens during a telomere test?

A telomere test is a blood draw or cheek swab test. You don’t need to fast for this test, so it can be done at any time. At Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers, we recommend our patients have telomere testing annually to compare results and review lifestyle changes that may lead to more healthy DNA. This gives Dr. Ishaaya a baseline to make suggestions to improve your health. It also gives us information on whether your telomeres are healthy or not.

Foods that increase telomere length

Eating a telomere-protective diet full of foods high in vitamin C, polyphenols, and anthocyanins is important. Some telomere health foods include:

• Red peppers

• Kale

• Dark chocolate

• Berries

• Spinach

• Mushrooms

• Oats

A plant-based diet full of fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, and legumes is recommended. Also, be sure to monitor your cholesterol and sugar levels regularly to avoid developing diabetes or high cholesterol. At Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers, we can make suggestions for your diets that help you lengthen your telomeres and improve your overall health.

Learn how telomere testing can increase your quality of life

Telomere testing allows Dr. Avi Ishaaya to examine your chromosomes to learn about how you’re aging. At our Los Angeles, CA office, we can create an anti-aging plan that helps with telomere lengthening. When we expose our bodies to chronic stress, it negatively impacts our health and our telomere length. When you’re interested in learning more on how to improve your health with telomere lengthening, contact Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers to schedule a telomere test.