Are we aging faster today?
8.5 years over the last 40 years: this is the average increase in life expectancy in Switzerland reported by the OECD as part of a study on the aging of the populations of its member countries (1).
However, it seems that we are hearing more and more the words "cancers", "chronic diseases" or even "increased comorbidity factors".
If the extension of the duration of the third age is clearly positive, it is therefore more interesting to ask under what conditions this evolution has occurred.
In other words: is the quality of life of a senior in the Swiss Confederation today the same as 40, 50 or 100 years ago? And, in this regard, has his state of health followed this trend?
And, more importantly, is it possible to prevent the onset of diseases that seem new?
No, we don't age the same way today
We must first of all mix things up to appreciate the available figures. Thanks to advances in science, people today live longer than ever. Although carcinomas and other cancers have always existed, they are much more common today for two reasons:
- The quality of air, water and food has not necessarily increased;
- The omnipresence of food additives (normally consumed occasionally and in small doses) becomes problematic in view of the public health problems that their overabsorption causes. This is explained by the widespread accessibility of industrial food of low quality but at very moderate cost;
- Some of the diseases in question actually appear more gradually and the increase in life expectancy only turns out to be a distorting mirror, making these problems more visible.
This is the third point that we sometimes forget to mention when assessing the evolution of the state of health of seniors.
Longer life and very recent scientific advances
Although senescence has been a phenomenon studied for thousands of years, recent achievements in science and technology have allowed medicine to make considerable leaps over the last 50 years.
Indeed, with the aging of the world population becoming a powerful search engine, it is through studies such as that published in 2012 by Sahdeo Prasad and his colleagues (2) that we better understand the problem.
In his conclusions, Prasad presents numerous chronic inflammations (especially skin) and systemic problems (cardiovascular problems, diabetes, Alzheimer's syndrome, etc.) as intrinsically linked to the aging process.
Therefore, the deployment of solutions that prolong life by reducing dysfunction linked to these health problems must go hand in hand with a preventive attitude.
This is what we understand when reading his report which highlights the nutritional factor and the pillars of an active lifestyle to stay healthy.
Socio-cultural criteria in full transformation
Furthermore, we perceive the status and life expected of a senior today very differently, compared to the last century.
Indeed, we increasingly see the sixties as a rich period during which individuals tackle activities that they have not had the opportunity to explore until then.
The gradual transition of young adults, then adults, occurs much more slowly. This also means that people in their fifties and sixties remain exposed to aging factors for longer.
Psychological stress, social constraints and independence continue to govern the daily lives of seniors.
These socio-cultural transformations push back access to the “third age” and the elimination of supposed aging factors.
But anyway, what are these factors?
No, we do not age in the same framework
The quality of the air, water and food we consume has always been a factor in aging, but it is scientific research that has made it possible to quantify the impact of these elements on the way we age.
Furthermore, the said environment has changed a lot over the last 100 years.
It should in fact be noted that the demographic explosion following the Second World War led to a considerable increase in consumption, itself calling for an acceleration in production.
The resulting industrial emissions have necessarily transformed the air, water and soil in such a way that our body has been impacted.
It is difficult, in such conditions, to compare our “modes of aging” with those of our ancestors. The truth is that we do not live in the same framework and, in this sense, the points of reference must be chosen carefully.
Improved diagnostics and a new perception of pathologies
Less and less fatalistic, medicine has evolved since its beginnings to explore poorly understood problems and find solutions or at least palliatives.
Paradoxically, it is this proactive attitude that now pushes communities to consider the difficulties in treating hitherto unknown health problems as a "failure".
Indeed, the improvement in the reliability of diagnoses, the increasing responsiveness of the tools and knowledge available to the medical profession and the improvement of treatment techniques are all elements which make comparison difficult.
However, it is notable that the factors of senescence and, worse, the appearance of chronic diseases, have increased.
Endocrine disruptors with thick skin
Considered by the medical profession as one of the "scourges" of the 21st century, endocrine disruptors are problematic in that they impact a large number of physiological processes, including those involved in the aging process.
This is what studies such as that of Liuqing Yang and her team (3) reveal, which, in 2020, highlights the impact of endocrine disruptors in ovarian cellular aging.
The hormonal system is highly dependent on the proper functioning of the ovaries and, as such, finds itself prey to various dysfunctions.
Unfortunately, the damage does not stop there since we discovered in a study published in 2018 by Veena Taneja that the immune response is linked to hormones (4).
As the immune system plays a central role in autoimmune diseases, endocrine disruptors are indirectly responsible for the premature aging process.
“PFAS” that we are just starting to talk about
Even more difficult to grasp in the aging process: the impact of PFAS is only just beginning to be studied (PFAS refers to a group of synthetic molecules, from the materials industry, found for example in plastics and involuntarily absorbed by contact with food).
A study published in 2023 by C. Chaney and KS Wiley (5) highlights the extreme variability of the aging process in men and women, depending on different factors during prolonged exposure to PFAS.
Knowing that the diffusion of these molecules on a planetary scale is now an established fact, it is all the more difficult to compare the reasons and conditions of aging today compared to the last century.
Yes, there are solutions to take care of yourself as you age
Fortunately, in the face of such uncertainty, there are certain commonplaces on which scientific research can build.
“Natural repair” strategies, for example, deployed by our body offer simple ways to mitigate the “modern” problems to which our skin is exposed.
They come down to three simple tips:
- Sleep properly (sufficient quantity and quality);
- Practice regular physical exercise;
- Benefit from appropriate nutrition.
This last point unfortunately proves delicate for some as time remains a rare commodity.
Preparing a dish with optimal nutritional qualities can therefore sometimes be impossible.
Fortunately, Science now offers the means to bottle the formula for “quality nutrition”.
The 3 pillars of nutrition adapted to contemporary aging
It is more important than ever to know how to identify the criteria necessary for the composition of a nutrition solution adapted to modern problems. The 3 pillars are:
- A detoxification action;
- A supply of essential nutrients;
- An antioxidant, deglycating and antiglycating protective effect.
By equipping yourself with a combination of active ingredients capable of detoxifying your body, you give yourself the means to protect yourself against chronic inflammation and the skin problems associated with it.
By using a range of essential nutrients to rebuild your skin and muscles, you improve the durability of your body to maintain your independence for as long as possible while preserving your appearance.
By mobilizing ingredients that neutralize free radicals, you maintain the structural integrity of your skin as much as possible.
Unfortunately, such a cocktail is not easily found in the natural diet. This is why nutricosmetic genius remains your best ally.
MyCollagenRepair: a nutricosmetic that is good for you
The opposite of certain industrial products whose composition shows very questionable compromises from the point of view of your health, certain supplements are part of a logic of well-being and prevention.
This is the case with MyCollagenRepair.
Nutricosmetic solution adapted to the problems of our time, MyCollagenRepair is made to accompany your daily beauty routine.
Equipped with a premium formula whose active ingredients act in synergy, this food supplement from MyPureSkin reveals the radiance of your skin while preserving its most intimate components: the ExtraCellular Matrix and the cells found there.
To successfully meet such a challenge, you will find active ingredients in MyCollagenRepair that meet the pillars of recommended action to support aging.
Detoxify the body
Nourish the body
Protect the body
- OECD report on the activity of older people: https://dam-api.bfs.admin.ch/hub/api/dam/assets/5046992/master
- Prasad's research on the need and rationale for "senior-oriented" medicine to treat and prevent chronic diseases: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3340492/
- Exploring the role of oxidative stress and natural antioxidants in ovarian aging: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33569007/
- Highlighting the role of sex hormones in the onset of the immune response: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6119719/
- Ambiguous relationships between PFAS and aging: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935123005066