When we talk about age, most people refer to the number of candles on their birthday cake. But the true measure of how well your body is functioning isn’t your chronological age; it’s your biological age.
What’s more, while your chronological age increases with time, your biological age can increase or decrease depending on your lifestyle, environment and cellular health. And, even better, you have control over it.
In this guide, we look at what influences biological ageing vs chronological ageing, science-backed anti-ageing tips, the role of nutrition and lifestyle, and how NAD+ boosting strategies, including NAD+ At Home products, can support you long-term.
What is Biological Ageing?
Biological ageing is the rate at which your cells and tissue decline and determines how well your body actually functions. For example, two people may be 50 years old chronologically but one may have the cellular resilience of a 35-year-old, while the other has cellular wear and tear of someone much older.
There are several influencing factors of biological ageing:
Inflammation
Chronic low-grade inflammation speeds up damage to tissues and organs, impacting metabolism, immunity and body repair mechanisms.
Oxidative Stress
Free radicals are unstable molecules created from poor diet, pollution, stress and normal metabolic processes. They can damage DNA, proteins and cell membranes.
Mitochondrial Efficiency
Your mitochondria are your cells’ energy powerhouses. As they weaken over time, energy production drops and fatigue rises. This causes the cell repair system to slow.
DNA Damage and Repair
Your DNA is damaged every day in a small way. But when the body can’t repair these effectively because of the above factors, ageing accelerates.
One thing involved in all of these processes is NAD+ – a coenzyme essential for energy production and cellular repair. Research shows that as we age NAD+ levels naturally decline, another reason why the biological ageing process occurs. But NAD+ supplementation can offer a pathway to improvement.
Key Drivers of Accelerated Ageing
To slow down biological ageing, it’s important to know what speeds it up:
Chronic Stress and Poor Sleep
Stress hormones like cortisol increase inflammation, impair glucose metabolism and weaken the immune system. A lack of sleep can also disrupt mitochondrial function and cellular repair. Together, stress and inadequate sleep can have a serious impact on the body and how it functions.
Poor Diet
Sugar increases oxidative stress and glycation, damaging cells and collagen. Ultra-processed foods, including too much caffeine, also trigger inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.
Smoking and Alcohol
Both smoking and alcohol release toxins into the body which generate free radicals. This weakens mitochondria and accelerates DNA damage – two major contributing factors to premature ageing.
Sedentary Lifestyle
A lack of exercise reduces mitochondrial number and capacity. This slows down metabolism and increases insulin resistance.
Age-Related NAD+ Depletion
We know that NAD+ levels naturally decline by up to 50% every two decades. Low NAD+ levels are linked to fatigue, low energy, reduced cellular repair, slower metabolism, cognitive decline and more rapid ageing.
How to Slow Biological Ageing
Here are some proven strategies to help slow biological ageing and boost cellular resilience:
Improve Mitochondrial Health
Exercise is one of the most powerful tools for longevity. High-intensity workouts are known to boost the creation of new mitochondria. Strength training supports muscle mass and hormonal balance, and even daily walking has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular health.
When you pair this with hydration and balanced nutrition, including plenty of protein, healthy fats and vegetables, you’re further supporting cellular efficiency.
Reduce Chronic Inflammation
As mentioned, chronic inflammation is a major driver of biological ageing. However, there are ways you can reduce it. Focus on omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish and nuts as well as natural anti-inflammatory foods such as berries, leafy greens, extra-virgin olive oil, turmeric and ginger. It’s also important to limit ultra-processed foods as well as seed oils and refined carbohydrates.
Prioritise Quality Sleep
During sleep, your body is able to prepare for its deepest repair. Therefore, it’s crucial you optimise your sleep by:
- – Keeping a consistent sleep schedule
- – Limiting screens 1 to 2 hours before bed
- – Supporting your circadian rhythm with morning light exposure
- – Creating a cool, dark, quiet sleep environment
For best practice, aim for 7 to 9 hours per night. Even a single night of poor sleep increases inflammation and reduces insulin sensitivity.
Manage Stress Effectively
Easier said than done but reducing stress is essential for slowing down biological ageing. Some helpful strategies include breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, cold exposure, therapy or counselling and spending time outside.
Support Cellular Repair Pathways
Autophagy is your body’s process of clearing out damaged cells. This declines with age, so it’s important you support it by:
- – Fasting or time-restricted eating (such as 12 to 14 hours overnight)
- – Limiting alcohol, which disrupts sleep and increases free radical production
- – Reducing exposure to environmental toxins wherever possible
The Role of NAD+ in Healthy Ageing
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a molecule that’s found in every cell of your body. It fuels essential processes such as:
- DNA repair
- Converting nutrients into cellular energy
- Reducing oxidative stress
We know that NAD+ levels decline quickly with age, stress, inflammation and poor lifestyle. This is why people experience fatigue, slower recovery, reduced metabolism and slower cognitive function. With this in mind, NAD-boosting strategies including supplements and at-home NAD therapy have grown in popularity.
How NAD+ At Home therapies help slow biological ageing
NAD+ At Home provides targeted solutions to replenish NAD+ levels and support cellular longevity. This includes:
- – NAD+ injections, which provide a high dose and rapid increase in NAD+
- – NAD+ pens, which offer a consistent micro-dosing, and help users to maintain steady NAD+ levels
- – NAD+ supplements for daily maintenance of NAD+ levels
Combined with an anti-inflammatory diet, quality sleep, regular exercise and stress reduction practices, these therapies can be effective at slowing ageing at its cellular level – and helping you to feel younger from the inside out.
Take the Next Step Toward Slower Biological Ageing
Slowing biological ageing requires a consistent approach that supports your body’s cellular system. It’s not a quick process, and reducing cellular ageing does take time. But by using the anti-ageing tips mentioned above, you can meaningfully influence how you age.
To start today, why not explore our at-home NAD+ supplements? Our longevity supplements support your cells for the long term and give your body the tools it needs to thrive, now and for decades to come.
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