Humans age dramatically at 2 key points

In a new article on CNN, scientists have found that human beings age at a molecular level in two accelerated bursts – first at the age of 44, and then again at 60.

In a study published in the journal Nature Aging, scientists at Stanford University and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore followed 108 participants over several years to observe ageing changes in their molecules — RNA, proteins and participants’ microbiomes.

The scientists found that human ageing does not happen in a gradual, linear way. Rather, the majority of the molecules they studied showed accelerated, non-linear changes at the ages of 44 and 60.

As for what to take away from their findings, the researchers advise making lifestyle changes such as drinking less alcohol and exercising more when nearing these pivotal years in your 40s and 60s.

Michael Snyder, chair of the Department of Genetics at Stanford and an author of the study, advised people approaching their 60s to watch their carb intake and drink plenty of water to aid kidney function.

“Take care of yourself more closely at specific time points during your life span,” advised Xiaotao Shen, an assistant professor in microbiome medicine at Nanyang Technological University and first author of the study.