A clean, active life that includes regular exercise and a diet of the right foods may, indeed, hold the key to a virtual fountain of youth, reports Professor Dean Ornish and his team from the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in California. The key to “young living,” they say, appears to be an enzyme called telomerase, which is produced in a healthy body and believed to help repair and protect DNA.

The small study recruited 30 men, asking them to take participate in a three-month trial of comprehensive lifestyle changes. Program requirements included a diet high in fruit and vegetables, vitamin supplements, an exercise regimen and classes in stress management, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises.

Men who had sufficient data for analysis showed an increase of 29 percent of telomerase in their blood and a decrease of LDL (bad) cholesterol; they also reported fewer intrusive thoughts causing stress. More studies are needed. Source: BBC News, 2008.