Telomeres

Overview

We already know that people who engage in regular mindfulness practices are more likely to process (than avoid) their emotions, and as a result experience less stress and increased happiness. 

According to recent research, Mindfulness can increase Heart Rate Variability (HRV), boost your immune system, and can even halt the ageing process (eg, see here , here, & here).

We also know that people who engage in regular mediation are more likely to process (than avoid) their emotions and are more compassionate. This results in reduced stress which can now be measured at the DNA level (!). 

How This Works

We have millions of cells in our bodies, which divide as we age and experience stress. At the level of our chromosomes we have Telomeres – short repetitive sequences of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes – like the ‘cap’ on the end of your shoelace. This ‘cap’ protects the ends of our chromosomes from damage to our DNA from things like radiation, cigarette smoke and stress. Since telomeres erode in response to the continuous cell divisions in our body, this protective function fades away as we grow older.

Each time a cell divides, the telomeres become shorter. If they grow too short, they can no longer protect the chromosomes from damage. Complete loss of telomeres results in sticky chromosome-ends that join to each other creating to genetic chaos – the very initial steps of cancer. Mindfulness and meditation have been shown to halt the shortening of the protective cap (telomeres) and thereby contribute to reducing your risk of DNA damage. 

If you are interested in finding out more about telomerase, watch Nobel Prize-winning Australian researcher Elizabeth Blackburn’s presentation “The Roles of Telomeres and Telomerase”, below.