5 telltale signs of aging and how to fight them with sex, chocolate

Aging is a privilege – but aging more slowly is a science.

In 2023, researchers identified 12 “hallmarks of aging,” arguing that better understanding them is key to improving health as we age.

In his new book, Ageless Revolution, Dr. Michael Aziz explores all of these signs—and how to combat them, one by one. Speaking to The Post, he shared five of the 12 and offered quick and cheap tips to slow them down, including eating more chocolate, getting more sleep and having a better sex life.

Hallmark of aging #1: Your proteins decline in quality

Proteins do a lot of work in our cells. But as we age, the quality of these proteins declines – and this can lead to many problems.

Dr. Aziz suggests thinking of proteins as employees who call in sick a lot, leaving other employees to pick up the slack. Those remaining employees get overworked and then no one feels good.

When this happens in your body, it leaves you vulnerable to illness and various functions don’t work properly. To combat it, the doctor recommends trying intermittent fasting.

“The body goes into a state of alert and starts eating the damaged part of the cells, which includes the bad proteins,” he said. “So one way to get rid of bad quality protein in the cell is to skip breakfast.”

Your intermittent fasting schedule doesn’t even have to last all week, he added: Even doing it on the weekend — say, having one lunch and dinner in the early afternoon instead of three meals — can help.

Studies have linked intermittent fasting to several health benefits, including one from the University of Southern California and Yale School of Medicine, which found that fasting led to a reduced risk of diabetes and an improved immune system.

Hallmark of aging #2: You’re running out of stem cells

Stem cells are able to develop into many other types of cells in the body, making them very useful.

“Whenever there is damage in the body, they come out of the bone marrow to make those new cells,” explained Dr. Aziz. “So let’s say you drink a lot, those stem cells come from the bone marrow and they repair the liver.”

But as we age, we run out of stem cells and our body is less able to repair itself.

So how do we keep them alive longer? The document recommends getting antioxidants from black tea and dark chocolate.

Chocolate, in particular, has been linked to lower mortality from cardiovascular disease, heart disease and cancer.

Hallmark of aging #3: You lose telomeres

Telomeres are the end caps of our chromosomes – and they’re another thing we have less of as we age.

“Every time cells divide, telomeres get shorter. Eventually the telomeres become so short that there is no more cell division, and before you know it, there is no more cell regeneration – then there is cell death,” explained Dr. Aziz.

There are things you can do to minimize this, he notes, including getting more vitamin D and fish oil.

But perhaps the most fun solution is to have a good sex life.

“Whenever we’re stressed, the body secretes cortisol,” he said. “And that’s making our telomeres burn faster. And that’s why we find that people who are stressed generally have shorter lives.”

When you have a good sex life, argues Dr. Aziz, you’re likely more relaxed and your cortisol levels are down – so less telomere damage and possibly a longer life.

Telltale sign of aging #4: Your cell phone batteries are malfunctioning

Mitochondria are the cells’ batteries, which generate energy in the body. So as we age and those batteries don’t charge as well, and we have less energy overall.

According to Dr. Aziz, good sleep hygiene is essential to combat this problem.

“Sleep is so important for longevity – you should aim for seven to eight hours of sleep,” he said. “We find that people who don’t get enough sleep are having more strokes, more heart attacks.”

And it’s not just getting enough sleep, but also getting it at the right time. Studies have linked night shift work to higher mortality, with one showing that women who worked night shifts for more than five years were 38% more likely to die of a heart attack. They were also 33% more likely to die from colon cancer, 25% more likely to die from lung cancer and 11% more likely to have died early from any cause.

“People who work night shifts, who sleep during the day – nurses, truck drivers – they have more deaths from stroke, heart attack, and it has to do with the mitochondrial network,” Dr. Aziz said.

Hallmark of aging #5: Your gut health is poor

The doctor says gut health is “crucial” to longevity because it plays a role in weight, emotions and brain health, among other things.

“We’re not eating enough fermented food, we’re not eating probiotic-rich foods, we’re not eating enough vegetables — and our gut bacteria are unhealthy,” he warned.

The gut microbiome – that is, the collection of bacteria, viruses and fungi in our gut – can play a role in our health and has even been linked to the risk of colon cancer.

For this, Dr. Aziz encourages people to eat more fermented foods like kimchi, cheese, yogurt and kombucha. Some studies have shown that they can have a positive effect on gut and overall health, including reducing inflammation.