The telomere effect : a revolutionary approach to living younger, healthier, longer / by Elizabeth Blackburn, Elissa Epel.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The New York Times bestselling book coauthored by the Nobel Prize winner who discovered telomerase and telomeres' role in the aging process and the health psychologist who has done original research into how specific lifestyle and psychological habits can protect telomeres, slowing disease and improving life.

Have you wondered why some sixty-year-olds look and feel like forty-year-olds and why some forty-year-olds look and feel like sixty-year-olds? While many factors contribute to aging and illness, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn discovered a biological indicator called telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes telomeres, which protect our genetic heritage. Dr. Blackburn and Dr. Elissa Epel's research shows that the length and health of one's telomeres are a biological underpinning of the long-hypothesized mind-body connection. They and other scientists have found that changes we can make to our daily habits can protect our telomeres and increase our health spans (the number of years we remain healthy, active, and disease-free).

The Telemere Effect reveals how Blackburn and Epel's findings, together with research from colleagues around the world, cumulatively show that sleep quality, exercise, aspects of diet, and even certain chemicals profoundly affect our telomeres, and that chronic stress, negative thoughts, strained relationships, and even the wrong neighborhoods can eat away at them.

Drawing from this scientific body of knowledge, they share lists of foods and suggest amounts and types of exercise that are healthy for our telomeres, mind tricks you can use to protect yourself from stress, and information about how to protect your children against developing shorter telomeres, from pregnancy through adolescence. And they describe how we can improve our health spans at the community level, with neighborhoods characterized by trust, green spaces, and safe streets.

The Telemere Effect will make you reassess how you live your life on a day-to-day basis. It is the first book to explain how we age at a cellular level and how we can make simple changes to keep our chromosomes and cells healthy, allowing us to stay disease-free longer and live more vital and meaningful lives.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Telomeres are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes and their genetic materials and allow for the division and renewal of cells. Over time, all telomeres weaken, but some people have prematurely deteriorating telomeres, which inhibit cell renewal and lead to early aging and health issues. Blackburn (biology and physiology) and Epel (psychiatry, both Univ. of California, San Francisco) argue that one can change the decaying of our telomeres by changing our diet, exercise, environment, and mental habits. The audiobook includes PDF files with supplemental materials to help listeners determine if they may be at risk of premature aging. Reader Suzanne Toren clearly and carefully presents this complicated material. VERDICT Part scientific study, part self-help book, this work will interest listeners concerned about wellness and aging. A cutting-edge addition to any library's health and science section.--Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ. Parkersburg Lib. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Telomeres can be thought of as biological aglets (the plastic tubes at the ends of shoelaces that keep them from getting ragged). They are repeating bits of noncoding DNA at the ends of chromosomes that prevent genetic stuff from coming undone. Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist Blackburn and psychologist Epel report on the science and nature of telomeres, especially their size. Genetics and lifestyle affect telomere length. Telomeres truncate every time a cell divides. Short telomeres are associated with early onset of some chronic diseases and hastier death. Certain chemicals, cigarette smoking, and depression are related to shortened telomeres, while other toxins are linked to longer ones. The lengthening of telomeres slows aging. Cardiovascular exercise, quality sleep, and good mental health also can elongate telomeres. A revitalizing enzyme produced by the body, telomerase, also promotes the integrity of telomeres. Be warned that drawn-out telomeres are associated with genetic mutations and cancers. The optimal telomere resembles an object of Goldilocks' finickiness, definitely not too short but probably not too long. A fascinating look at yet another marvel of the human body.--Miksanek, Tony Copyright 2017 Booklist

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD , received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2009 alongside two colleagues for their discovery of telomerase and telomeres' role in the aging process. She is currently president of the Salk Institute. Blackburn was elected president of the American Association for Cancer Research and is a recipient of the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, among many other awards. In 2007, she was named one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people.

Elissa Epel, PhD , is a leading health psychologist who studies stress, aging, and obesity. She is the director of UCSF's Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center and is associate director of the Center for Health and Community. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and serves on scientific advisory committees for the National Institutes of Health, and the Mind and Life Institute. She has received awards from Stanford University, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, and the American Psychological Association.