With the incredible things now possible because of the great advances in science and technology in recent years, man has still not found a permanent solution to ageing.  The quest for eternal youth continues.  The aging process is something that cannot be stopped.  It begins when we hit 30 and only endsthe day we die. Many believe that living a healthy lifestyle can slow down ageing  and to a certain degree it does.  On the other hand, there are some specialists who theorize that the ageing process is coded in our genes which therefore means that all of us age at the same rate regardless of what we do.  However, there are factors that can lead to premature ageing and early death and these include diseases, obesity and smoking.

According to a study, obese people are more exposed to risks than smokers because every time their cells spawn they lose some of their DNA. The more DNA they lose the more likely it is for them to succumb to premature death.  Obese smokers,particularly those who are above the age of 50 are at the highest risk for premature death because smoking and obesity attack the same areas.

Smoking not only causes premature aging but it also leads to cancer. Tobacco can increase the risk of high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease and heart diseases.  Smoking causes skin to become dry preventing it from regenerating. Skin exposure to smoke also causes dryness.  The skin of smokers produces less collagen which is the substance that keeps the skin healthy and moisturized.

Products that contain antioxidants can slow down the ageing process by a significant degree. Antioxidants fight free radicals which destroy our cells when they come in contact with them in a process called oxidation.  Free radicals are produced by sun exposure, smoke, fried food and different chemicals. Green tea, fresh fruits and uncooked vegetables are rich in antioxidants which neutralize the destructive effects of free radicals. 

One of the effects of ageing is a weakened immune system.  For this reason, most old people die of harmless diseases that would have been easy to cure in a younger person.

Scientists are still at work trying to find ways to defy ageing and death.  At the moment, they have not come up with a pill that could work better than having a healthy lifestyle.  Perhaps the day would come when we would be able to make cells spawn forever but until then we should do what we can to take care of ourselves and learn to appreciate the good things about ageing.  After all, it is not the wrinkles that really make us feel old but our mindset and attitude.