The body ages very quickly without this hormone.
Aging is inevitable, but its pace is not the same for everyone. Science confirms that it is possible to slow it down, not with expensive aesthetic treatments, but through healthy lifestyle habits. Researchers have recently shed light on a precise biological mechanism by which these habits prolong our internal youth.
This fascinating discovery happened unexpectedly. “In 1997, a Japanese researcher made a mistake as often happens in medicine“, says Dr. Borja Quiroga, nephrologist on the podcast “How comes? » (How do you eat?). In a study on mice, he mistakenly withdrew a hormone from some rodents. Soon after, the mice that lacked this substance aged prematurely and died very young from age-related causes, as if their blood vessels and brains had undergone a massive acceleration of time.
Thanks to this study and after decades of additional research, researchers understood that the body ages very quickly without this hormone, thus confirming its role as a key biomarker of human aging. Nicknamed the anti-aging hormone and produced mainly in the kidneys, “Klotho” determines our internal aging rate. In short, high Klotho levels are associated with prolonged lifespan and better protection against cellular aging-related damage. This could extend lifespan by 20%, or 17 years of life gained if we consider that the average life expectancy is 85 years for a human. “This is a major discovery, a great revolution and I am delighted to share it. I’m proud to be a nephrologist thanks to advances like this“, rejoices the kidney specialist.
The good news is that you can “activate” this hormone yourself and it is within everyone’s reach. Several studies show that regular physical activity induces a direct increase in the level of Klotho circulating in the blood: the expert recommends at least 1h30 of cardio exercise per week (brisk walking, cycling, running, rowing, swimming, etc.) and 10 minutes of strength exercises per week (chair against the wall, core, push-ups, etc.). Adopting a healthy and balanced diet is also an excellent lever for supporting kidney function and, by extension, Klotho production. People at risk of kidney problems (diabetics, hypertension, over 60 years old, overweight, family history of kidney disease) should be screened early because when the kidneys are diseased, they produce less Klotho, which accelerates aging.
This hormone was named in direct reference to one of the three Fates in Greek mythology: the goddess Clotho (or Klotho) who spun the thread of life and by extension the length of human destiny. It is a common tradition in biology to name genes or molecules discovered in connection with phenomena of longevity or death after mythological figures (such as the Achilles gene or the Polycomb and Trithorax genes).
