More and more studies show that our biological age does not necessarily correspond to our chronological age. To illustrate this, it is enough to look at two people of the same age, yet with completely different health conditions. So what really affects our rate of aging? Four main factors that science no longer ignores.
1. Stress: Not just a feeling – but a biological state
One of the most significant factors in accelerated aging is chronic stress. When the nervous system operates over a long period of time in a state of threat, the body enters survival mode: It raises cortisol levels, alters immune system activity, and diverts resources away from repair and construction processes to deal with "danger." In such a state, processes like hormonal balance, weight loss, and even self–healing – are pushed aside and do not receive the necessary energy. As people living in a country at war, with a cost of living that banishes sleep, everyone's stress levels are at a problematic starting point, and that is even before the personal challenges we all experience.
But the story does not end here, adds naturopath Lilach Serzo. Recent studies indicate that stress also affects the microbiome – the bacterial population in the gut, also known as the "second brain." The microbiome is like a living ecosystem inside our body, which affects not only digestive processes, but also mood, stress, anxiety, and even our decision–making and sense of meaning.
And this is where it gets truly interesting. Studies indicate that, just like our first brain, the gut microbiome plays a central role in a wide variety of health processes, including those related to mental health. The term "the second brain" became famous following the work of Prof. Michael Gershon from Columbia University, one of the pioneers in the field. In his book The Second Brain, he explains that, for example, about 90% of the serotonin in the body is not produced in the brain at all as most of us tend to think, but rather in the digestive system. An imbalance in the microbiome directly affects our mood, leads to anxiety, and even impairs cognitive function. In other words: When the body lives in continuous tension, the body's cells age at an accelerated rate.
The good news?
The nervous system also knows how to relax. Quality sleep, sun exposure, intentional slowing down, and of course meditation and breathwork, signal to the body that the threat has passed, allowing it to return to balanced functioning.
2. Chronic inflammation: The silent enemy
"Unlike acute inflammation, which is a healthy response to infection or injury, chronic inflammation is a silent, continuous, and sometimes unnoticeable process," Serzo explains. "Yet it has a broad impact on the body." Studies indicate that chronic inflammation is linked to accelerated aging and a wide variety of diseases. One of the main factors of inflammation is a lifestyle that includes a diet high in sugar and processed fats, a lack of physical activity, and ongoing stress, which feeds the inflammation in a closed loop and continues to increase its silent yet destructive presence.
The good news?
Physical activity, and especially strength training, has been found to reduce inflammation and improve cellular health. Alongside probiotics containing specific bacterial strains that reduce inflammation, a balanced diet, low in glucose and rich in natural ingredients, also plays a central role in reducing the inflammatory load. This is a tip not only for longevity and its enhancement, but also as preventive medicine for most diseases that begin from silent chronic inflammation.
3. Cellular aging: Not just genetics
At a deeper level, the aging process takes place inside the cells themselves. One of the main measures of this is the length of the telomeres – which are the ends of the chromosomes, which over the years shorten and shorten our lives. In the past, Serzo explains, "it was customary to think of genetics as a given and fixed process, but today it is known that we also have the ability to influence genes." The field of epigenetics shows that our lifestyle: From diet, stress, physical activity, and of course quality consciousness work – can influence gene expression and the rate of cellular aging.
The good news?
Studies indicate that factors like sleep, stress management, and nutritional supplements can contribute to maintaining cellular health over time. "In a study recently published at Harvard University," Serzo adds enthusiastically, "it was found that taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day significantly reduced the shortening of telomeres over 4 years," and in simple English: A delay of almost 3 years of biological aging compared to a placebo. And that is just vitamin D. There are endless other fascinating studies on critical supplements for maintaining the cells in our body.
4. Between body and consciousness: The connection between passion and longevity
While science focuses on biological mechanisms, the Metaism method, a practical philosophy researched and measured in several studies in Israel and around the world, offers a broader perspective on the connection between body, mind, and consciousness. This method, similar to other psycho–spiritual theories, argues that the body directly reflects our mental and emotional state.
So that in addition to all the parameters we elaborated on above, one of the additional factors that accelerate aging is a sense of giving up and compromise, a life experience of bitterness and defeat. Whether it is a relationship that is not precise for us, a job where we do not shine, or simply giving up on fulfilling the dreams that once burned within us, all of these contribute significantly to accelerated aging. And in contrast, the news is that a life full of passion and movement, self–fulfillment, and an experience of meaning, are what allow our physiological system to reboot itself and maintain increasing vitality. The fountain of youth.
The main message of the field of longevity is quite clear: We are not a "passive" factor in the aging process; on the contrary, we have an immense influence on it. The more we take care of our body and our consciousness, the more we will be surprised by how far they will take us. So perhaps the real question is not how many years we will add to life, but how much life we will add to the years.
The author is a consciousness researcher, founder of the Metaism concept, and heads the Ma'arach Mudarut (Consciousness Space) community together with her partner, Elimor Henig