There are over 300 theories on why we age. The loss of the inefficiency in cell replication is what generally causes our bodies to age. Aging can be categorized as intrinsic and extrinsic changes our bodies experience during our lifetime. These changes can be negatively impacted by an unhealthy environment and lifestyle choices.

A characteristic seen in intrinsic aging is the genetically predetermined shortening of telomeres and the decline of your body’s own stem cells. Extrinsic aging refers to external factors that cause cell damage like ultraviolet radiation, chemicals, pathogens, and abuse of tobacco. Each time our cells replicate to repair and replace dying and damaged cells, they become “older” and less effective. Over time, this process leads to weaker tissues, chronic diseases, and eventually total shutdown of our organism. 

How often do our cells regenerate themselves naturally?

The human body is made up of roughly 30 trillion cells. Some estimates suggest that 1-5% of these cells may be progenitor stem cells that are responsible for cellular regeneration. About 330 billion cells are replaced each day. Calculated by mass, about 4% of these self-regenerating cells are skin cells and another 4% are fat and muscle cells. So the skin and muscle tissues in our bodies were meant to last a long time and thus not regenerated as quickly as other cells.

The information needed to create a new healthy cell is stored inside your DNA. DNA is a marvelous structure, but over time, many factors cause it to “decay”. Each time a cell divides and replicates itself, the telomeres of the new cell become shorter. This repetitive action throughout our lives results in skin, muscle, and organ tissue to be slightly weaker with each replication. And over time, the body loses its ability to properly store and utilize energy within cells to maintain healthy functions. This process can be affected by many other factors and is what is commonly known as natural or biological aging