Healthy Habits And Diet Fads Have Little To Do With One's Physiology

Many of the dietary rules we traditionally follow are arbitrary, and do not have much relation to our body physiology. For instance, there is no exercise that can keep one's skin and body youthful. To do this, requires one to exercise one's genetic make-up, which is a physical impossibility. Remaining youthful looking fundamentally stems from one's genetic code.

The science behind this essential 'dumb luck' points to the life span of individual cells inside the human body. The body consists of 46 chromosomes, which are decided by 23 mother and father chromosomes. Each individual chromosome includes a telomere at either end. The telomere, which is itself a DNA sequence, gives stability to the end of the chromosome. The arrangement of the telemere within the DNA strand prevents abnormal recombinations of the chromosomes. Telomerase, an enzyme that is found within the telomeres of chromosomes, preserves the length of telomeres across cell divisions. Telomerase is necessary for the maintenance and repair of the telomere, which not only extends the life of a cell, but also prevents mutation among multiple cells. Telomerase does this by helping transfer genetic code information between nucleic acids. If the telomere is activated, the cell may become immortal. This however comes with a caveat, as telomere immortality allows one to, in theory, become more susceptible to cancers of the body (though this theory remains untested and thereby unproven).


The unbelievable implications in the possible control of the aging process of cells, which make up every organ in our body, provides a theoretical example of why efforts to control the 'uncontrollable' normally fail. For this reason, the fountain of youth remains a mystery to all but authors of fictional novels. Diet and exercise programs normally advertised on television and in magazines demonstrate fads that make their proponents rich, and you lighter in the wallet. Until one of the aforementioned body metamorphosis programs promises to change one's genetic make-up, it will never achieve the results it promises.

This is not ground breaking news; chromosomes have always operated in this way. For instance, if parents are long-lived, and other members of the family tend to be long-lived, there is a good chance for a person of that family to be long-lived. Your chromosomes have always predetermined your body's physiology, its up to you to maximize it!

The purpose of this article is not to discourage people from eating more healthily, far from it. Rather, this article's intention is to provide a caveat for any miracle diets that promise the body of a supermodel for a person who is not genetically able to obtain this figure. As the saying goes, "beauty is only skin deep," so act accordingly! Healthy eating and exercise will help to maintain health and well being internally, but it is farfetched to believe that these acts can completely transform one's physical image.

By: Dr. Ronald M. Caplan, M.D.

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Ronald Caplan, M.D., is an Obstetrician Gynecologist and medical author who has spent the greater part of his life studying and treating the medical conditions that impact humanity, and their relation to the evolving society in which we all live.

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