Standing increases longevity and builds telomeres

(NaturalNews) Standing up is good for your health. People who stand live longer and have longer telomeres, an indicator of good health and longevity. Sitting is tied to disease and aging. Research has now shown that standing instead of sitting can prevent telomere shortening. Circuit training is also recommended, but actually the time you spend on your feet may be more important that time spent exercising, as far as telomere length protection is concerned. Researchers conclude that sitting down is a "new health hazard of our time," and that exercise and standing up prevents telomere shortening.

What are telomeres?

Cells contain a nucleus that holds the double helix stranded DNA. The chromosomes of the DNA have ends that are called telomeres. These telomeres are responsible for protecting the genetic data. They are responsible for cell division and ensuring that the genetic code is passed on to the new cells. Telomeres have been compared to the plastic on the end of shoelaces that protects them. Telomeres shorten each time a cell divides, and when they become too short, cell division stops. This is why shorter telomeres are indicators of aging, disease, and early death. Short telomere length is a predictor of heart disease, aging and cancer. When we are born, we can have as many as 8,000 base pairs of telomeres in each cell. An adult may have 3,000, and an elderly person, only 1,500. Each time a cell divides it loses between 30 to 200 base pairs of telomeres.

Stand up and live longer

A sedentary lifestyle creates obesity, diabetes, and poor health, says Dr. Joan Vernikos, former director of NASA's Life Sciences. Noting that when astronauts returned from space, they lost muscle tissue and had other damage to their health, she coined the term "quasi-micro-gravity". Prof Mai-Lis Hellenius, of Stockholm's Karolinska University Hospital, said, "We hypothesise that a reduction in sitting hours is of greater importance than an increase in exercise time for elderly risk individuals." Standing, exercising, and particularly circuit training that builds muscle mass, prevent telomere shortening.

So stay on your feet, exercise and don't sit down in order to protect your DNA and your telomeres.

Sources:

http://www.worldhealth.net

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://macedoniaonline.eu

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/chromosomes/telomeres/

About the author:
Talya Dagan is a health advocate and health coach, trained in nutrition and gourmet health food cuisine, writing about natural remedies for disease and nutrition and herbal medicine. You can follow her blog at www.talyadagan.com