- Stay Connected
Socialize
Beer For A Long life, Coffee for A Short One!
Researchers have claimed that caffeine shortens and alcohol lengthens telomeres — the end points of chromosomal DNA, implicated in ageing and cancer.
Now Prof. Martin Kupiec said that for the first time they’ve identified a few environmental factors that alter telomere length, and they’ve shown how they do it.
Telomeres, made of DNA and proteins, mark the ends of the strands of DNA in our chromosomes. They are essential to ensuring that the DNA strands are repaired and copied correctly.
Every time a cell duplicates, the chromosomes are copied into the new cell with slightly shorter telomeres. Eventually, the telomeres become too short, and the cell dies. Only fetal and cancer cells have mechanisms to avoid this fate; they go on reproducing forever.
An earlier study had revealed that the longer your telomeres are, the longer you will live – dependent, of course, on not dying accidentally, from disease or from lifestyle factors.
The researchers set out to expand on a 2004 study by Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist Prof. Elizabeth Blackburn, which suggested that emotional stress causes the shortening of the telomeres characteristic of aging, presumably by generating free radicals in the cells.
The researchers grew yeast cells in conditions that generate free radicals to test the effect on telomere length. They were surprised to find that the length did not change.
They went on to expose the yeast cells to 12 other environmental stressors. Most of the stressors — from temperature and pH changes to various drugs and chemicals — had no effect on telomere length.
But a low concentration of caffeine, similar to the amount found in a shot of espresso, shortened telomeres, and exposure to a 5-to-7 per cent ethanol solution lengthened telomeres.
The study has been published in journal PLOS Genetics.
Posted by
Kepusha Takolelwe Bowa
December 26, 2013 at 3:51 pm
Bushe does it mean that beer lengthens ones life whilst tea shortens ones life? Please explain so that I can quickly start taking alcoholic drinks
id!ot!
December 26, 2013 at 4:39 pm
wachita bwino ukwipusha, tampaa ukunwa ubwalwa nomba soo!
Kappa
December 26, 2013 at 4:07 pm
Bamudala with beer you will never go wrong just drink responsibly man!
nambian f k
December 26, 2013 at 5:28 pm
Ine so apa ndenwa at home while watching arsenal game.word of advice dnt abuse or become an alcoholic in the name of not getting old fast u will shorten ur life.enjoy the bottle responsibily!!!!
shottas
December 26, 2013 at 6:15 pm
Ukunwa nokulasa eyabako nomba
Mwaka
December 27, 2013 at 3:42 am
I have a relative who has been an alcoholic since the beginning of time. He is in good health while everyone around him keeps kicking the bucket. mmmhhh just making a point.
gile
December 27, 2013 at 8:39 am
thats why i take my Castle regularly its part of my menu
me
December 27, 2013 at 11:39 am
Thankyou for your research, beer yena balipanga. For the benefit of our good health we shall continue following your advice.
ATHINA
December 27, 2013 at 1:01 pm
nonsence!! beer is bad!if u drink,just continue drinking.I HATE BEER..
soup abodobo bupalo kawama tatwakaye
December 27, 2013 at 2:10 pm
twapapata tulekenifye
Air Mukwai_
December 27, 2013 at 3:59 pm
Records at UTH indicate that drunkards who go for operation in theatre recover faster from m/drug dosage than those who have never tasted alcohol.
mwaiyayi mwane
December 27, 2013 at 4:01 pm
beer is good,nombafye ka HO,awe mwandi.