Aging As The Wound That Fails To Heal: A Bioenergetic Continuum Of Resolution Failure
Imagine your body constantly trying to fix itself, like a wound that never quite closes. This new perspective suggests that aging isn’t just about wear and tear, but rather a continuous struggle to fully recover from life’s stresses. Our bodies are designed to respond to stress by breaking down old components (a process called catabolism) and then rebuilding and repairing (anabolism). However, when we face chronic stress, our energy systems can get overwhelmed, leading to what’s called a ‘bioenergetic debt.’ This means our cells don’t have enough energy to complete the repair process. This energy shortfall, termed ‘Exposure-Related Malnutrition’ (ERM), prevents our bodies from transitioning effectively from the breakdown phase to the crucial repair phase. Instead of fully healing, our cells become less flexible in how they use energy (metabolic inflexibility), accumulate fat droplets, and our cell’s powerhouses, the mitochondria, start to slow down as a protective measure. Eventually, some cells enter a state called senescence, where they stop dividing but can still cause inflammation, acting like ‘zombie cells.’ Crucially, this view proposes that issues like mitochondrial slowdown and senescent cells aren’t the primary causes of aging, but rather consequences of this ongoing energy crisis and the body’s failed attempts to adapt. Aging, then, is seen as a gradual loss of the body’s natural energy rhythm – a shift from being able to recover and renew itself to simply enduring without proper repair.
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