How and why we age is one of the most hotly-debated hottest topics ever. It seems there is an endless number of studies and anecdotes offering shortcuts here and there to the fountain of youth… or reasons you have not arrived yet. Now there is a bit more research, this time suggesting that iron levels have much to do with aging. (1)
It’s remarkable how much information we have about our bodies, and yet how little we know. The question of how and why we age is a grand and complex mystery. It seems that just as we grasp one aspect of it, a new understanding comes in to cancel out a previous one. There is so much to know, that it’s like we’re always just scratching the surface. The human body is so strategically and wonderfully engineered that it can feel like we have no idea what’s going on. But every piece of the puzzle adds a new dimension to our understanding. Every new conclusion leads to more questions, yes. But they often lead to new ways of living better too. Ways of not just extending our lifespan, but really making those extra years count. Making them strong, healthy, quality years.
Blood Iron Levels Are Key To Aging Gracefully
Exciting research published in Nature Communications in July of 2020, suggests that keeping one’s blood iron levels in check is a major factor in aging gracefully and living longer. The research finds that high levels of iron in the blood may contribute to a reduction in overall healthy years we experience.
You may have already noticed that for a long time, dieticians have been singing the virtues of lower red meat consumption. This research could shed some light on why it is that diets that are high in red meat consumption impact heart health like they do.
In the study, the research scientists from Edinburgh University and the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Germany looked at ten regions of the human genome that are linked to a longer lifespan. They found commonalities in those gene sets that are linked to the metabolism of iron in the blood. What they found was that these gene sets are also responsible for our longevity. This suggests a strong tie between iron levels and a long healthy life. (2)
Looking For Longevity? Lower Iron Levels
Dr. Paul Timmers from the Usher Institute at Edinburgh had this to say: “We are very excited by these findings as they strongly suggest that high levels of iron in the blood reduces our healthy years of life and keeping these levels in check could prevent age-related damage. We speculate that our findings on iron metabolism might also start to explain why very high levels of iron-rich red meat in the diet has been linked to age-related conditions such as heart disease.” (1)
Blood iron levels are directly affected by diet, so it’s great that we all have some measure of control here. Abnormally high or low levels of iron have been linked not just to heart disease, but to a number of other age-related diseases like Parkinson’s.
The researchers note that the development of a drug to help stabilize blood iron levels is a logical next step. A lot more research is necessary, of course. But this is an important piece of the puzzle, like a sign at a trailhead toward that fountain of youth. A guide to follow, while we continue learning more.
