As we AGE

Age-related physical changes are noticeable eg. wrinkles, bulge at the waistline, graying hair and liver spots. What are not visible like gradual loss of bone tissue and the reduced elasticity of blood vessels are not attended to for majority of people till it poses a health challenge.

By knowing how your body changes with age helps to prevent alterations in cell, tissue and organ functions that cause the deterioration and thus aging. Unknowingly, we are taking preventive steps to stop the development of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

At 20s…..

* We start off with about 100 billion neurons in our brain. At 20, we hit the peak and can lose up to 10000 per day. If the decline is not arrested, it will affect memory, coordination and brain function.

* In our mid-20s, the skin starts to age naturally.

* Lung capacity starts to decrease after 20. By 40, some are already experiencing breathlessness, partly due to the muscles and rib cage which control breathing stiffening up.

** Unnatural breakdown of body parts can be caused by risk-seeking behaviour especially among hot-headed teenagers such as extreme sports (physical injuries), risky sexual activities and over-consumption of alcohol that can result in premature deaths in worst scenario.

At 30s,

* Bones are constantly regenerated. Children’s bones grow fastest, followed by teens. By 35, bone loss begins as a natural aging process.

* Similarly muscles undergo same renewal process. However by 30, the breakdown is greater than buildup. By 40, the loss is 0.5-2 percent each year. Arrest the fall by doing regular exercises.

* Male hair receding usually starts in the 30s. A hair growing from each follicle usually can last 3 years but no longer so. Gray hairs appear around 35. Half of all men may show some signs of male pattern hair loss by age 40. This happens because DHT, a by-product of testosterone, damage hair follicles in men.

* Quality of male sperm starts to decline by 35 and a third of pregnancies end in miscarriage for those 45 onwards hoping to have babies.

* Women see declining fertility after 35 as the number and quality of eggs in the ovaries start to fall. Also, the lining of the womb may become thinner, making it less favorable for egg to be fertilised as the environment is not conducive for the sperm. At this time, women’ breasts start to sag with lost of tissue and fat.

** Above problems can be aggravated by emotional swings that can end up in depression as this age group tends to have a lot of flux in their lives like career changes and assuming new roles (eg. parents). Biologically, at the peak they experience fast lifestyle with low activity rate and a higher basal metabolic rate, eating inevitably becomes a favorite pastime for most. This is usually the starting point for storage of fats from the excess calories taken in.

At 40s,

* Lesser saliva is produced to help in clearing away bacteria. As such, our teeth are vulnerable to decay. At 40, tissue is lost from gums commonly called receding gums.

* Eyes start blurring and long sightedness happen to most in the mid 40s.

* Men start feeling the effects of a decline in testosterone, typically at about 1% yearly once hitting 30. This can be complicated by more serious conditions like atherosclerosis or metabolic syndrome (see below). 1 in 10 men are affected by erectile dysfunction. This figure increases to 1 in 2 by age 60 and 3 out 4 by age 70.

* The heart is less effective in pumping blood as its muscles weaken and shrink in size. Blood vessels become less elastic while arteries can be clogged with fatty deposits, delivering lesser blood to the heart. Men over 45 and women over 55 are vulnerable to heart attack and high blood pressure.

** Those who ate poorly and neglected their health during their teens may see chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease creeping in at this stage of life. With lower metabolic rate, those who are sedentary tend to gain weight around the waist or bum.

At 50s,

* The number of filtering units or nephrons in the kidneys that help to remove wastes from the bloodstream is reduced.

*  Presbyopia creeps in with the tissue around the eyes losing their tone. It may herald the start of other eye diseases like glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration.

* Liver begins to decrease in size when your muscle mass is on the decline.  Handle medicated drugs and alcohol more carefully.

* Half of men over 50 face prostate enlargement problem because the prostate receives large amount of testosterone feeding the growth of the cells in it. If not treated, it can turn into cancer at the ripe old age of 70-80.

* The protective function of estrogen that helps to keep blood cholesterol levels in check is diminishing when women hit menopause. Even then, they are less at risk than men in suffering from heart attack or stroke.

* The population of friendly bacteria in the digestive tract drops significantly after 55 especially in the large intestine. The enzymes in the digestive organs like stomach, liver, pancreas are also depleting. Poor digestion, absorption of nutrients and constipation are inevitable. Statistics show colorectal cancer most common among men in this category.

At 60s,

* More than half lose hearing at this age due primarily to a thickened eardrum and lost of hair cells.

* The 10000 taste buds scattered on the tongue is halved by now. Chewing becomes harder if you have dentures or dentition. Thus food is not properly broken down before sending down to the stomach.  Lack of stomach acid compounds the problem contributing to a host of other digestive complications.  Further down the colon may show sign of weakness with sluggish movement and decreased muscle tone.

* Voices become quieter and hoarser. The soft tissue in the vocal box (larynx) weakens, affecting the pitch, loudness and quality of the voice. A woman’s voice may become huskier and lower in pitch. A man’s voice can be thinner and higher.

* Loss of bladder control is normal for those hitting 65. Women suffer more due to menopause, as declining estrogen levels make tissue in the urethra (the tube through which urine passes) thinner and weaker, reducing bladder support. Bladder capacity is half that of a 30 year old.

* Men at this age group face an increased risk of depression. Those retiring relinquish their role of breadwinner and worry about household finance. Also bothering them are health-related matters, impending mortality, dependence on others and loss of friends and loved ones.

*  After age 60, your body needs 350 fewer calories to maintain weight and good health.  By eating like you were in your 30s without much physical energy expended, weight increases rapidly.

At 70s,

Liver is the strongest organ that can last so long and starts aging in the later part of our life. By this time, the liver, brain and heart have shrunk by as much as 30% in size and function.

Drastic physical changes like loss of muscle and reduced energy production are partially responsible for decreased perception of cold. Inability to dissipate normal body heat and a decreased sense of thirst make them susceptible to both hypothermia and heatstroke - both can be deadly.


At 80s,

The brain size is further reduced to that of a 3 yo child.

Most of the health challenges mentioned above just get worse with passing years.










More comments

Statistics showed women live longer than men. However, during the aging process, women naturally lose muscle and strength faster than men. For older women who are on a diet, consuming more protein may help preserve muscle mass and foster a better muscle-to-fat body composition. Researchers assessed the women's strength, balance and ability to do physical tasks by using magnetic resonance imaging to gauge the muscle volume of each woman's right thigh and measured the amount of fat around the thigh and within the thigh muscle found that those who consume additional protein lost 3.9% more weight and gained 5.8% more thigh muscle. This led to better balance and improved task performance.

If you have been leading a healthy lifestyle and include supplements in your daily routine, most of the health challenges mentioned above can be mitigated and delayed. When the body is most lacking in one or more nutrients it is unable to function efficiently. Also we should always ensure that sufficient amount of growth hormone is available throughout different stages of our lives in order to maintain the body's metabolism in optimum level and also achieve the desirable health status.

Do not take it lightly that aging contributes to the deteriorating condition as aging itself is a disease.

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