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Steve Horvath, a renowned genetics scholar, has dedicated his career to the study of longevity. His groundbreaking research in epigenetic clocks has revolutionized the way we perceive aging. However, he advises against spending money on pricey biological age tests and instead suggests four practical and affordable ways to reduce your biological age.
Tracing the Path: Steve Horvath's Journey
In the early 2010s, Horvath introduced the concept of determining biological age through saliva-based tests. His discovery, though initially overlooked, laid the foundation for many longevity companies that offer biological age tests based on this principle.
Although it's gratifying to see his research being utilized, Horvath expresses concern over the premature commercialization of these tests.
He suggests consumers not to take the results seriously as the science underlying these tests is yet to evolve. He says, “The most important thing I want to tell the consumer is to do it only if you have a sense of humor. People should be relaxed about it."
Biological age tests, though intriguing, can't provide a comprehensive health assessment. Other vital health indicators, such as blood pressure, body weight, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar, should also be considered.
Horvath's most trusted tool, the GrimAge clock, can offer a rough estimate of our biological age, thus hinting at our mortality risk. However, he firmly warns against using it as a countdown timer to death.
In the future, Horvath hopes that biological age tests could help physicians suggest innovative longevity treatments to their patients. But for now, he emphasizes the lack of a magic pill that can reverse aging.
Four Proven Strategies to Slow Down Aging
Despite the commercial allure of biological age tests, Horvath suggests focusing on four proven methods that can effectively slow down human aging. These strategies are:
- Abstaining from smoking
- Increasing vegetable consumption
- Regular physical exercise
- Reducing chronic inflammation
"Everything you know about a healthy lifestyle does seem to affect these biomarkers," Horvath said.
Instead of expensive DNA tests, he recommends adopting these simple lifestyle changes. He discovered through personal experience that quitting smoking and reducing sugar intake can significantly improve biological age. His "health nut" diet and lifestyle have gradually reduced his biological age over time.
"Just don't smoke, exercise, eat your vegetables," he said.
