Religiosity, Spiritual Practices, And Epigenetic Aging: Insights From A Population-Based Sample Of Middle-Aged US Adults
Have you ever wondered if your spiritual practices could influence how you age? New research suggests there might be a connection at a fundamental biological level. We all have a chronological age, which is simply how many years we’ve been alive. But our bodies also have a “biological age,” which reflects the true health and aging of our cells and tissues. This biological age can be influenced by various factors, and scientists can now measure it using sophisticated tools called “epigenetic clocks.” These clocks look at patterns of chemical tags on our DNA, specifically something called DNA methylation, which can affect how our genes are expressed without changing the genes themselves. Think of it like dimmer switches on your genes, turning their activity up or down.
This study explored whether engaging in religious and spiritual practices might be linked to a slower biological aging process. Researchers examined data from a large group of middle-aged adults in the U.S., looking at different aspects of their spiritual lives, such as their overall spirituality, how central religion was to them, how they used religion or spirituality to cope, private religious practices, and daily spiritual experiences. They then compared these factors to the participants’ biological age, as measured by advanced epigenetic clocks.
The findings revealed a compelling association: individuals who reported higher levels across all dimensions of religiosity and spirituality tended to show signs of slower biological aging. This suggests that these practices might not only contribute to well-being but could also have a tangible impact on the aging process at a cellular level. While more research is needed to fully understand the “how” behind this connection, these insights open up exciting avenues for exploring the profound ways our spiritual lives might influence our physical health and longevity.
Source: link to paper