Telomere Testing: Everything You Need To Know About A Cutting-Edge New Longevity Test That Tells You Your Cellular Age.

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Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Recently, I had my telomeres tested by the company “TeloYears“, which offers a simple and surprisingly affordable in-home genetic test that reveals the cellular age encoded in your DNA, specifically by using something called a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay.

Teloyears measure your average telomere length by analyzing the DNA found in the many thousands of white blood cells (leukocytes) in just one drop of blood. Then, they enter your data into a mathematical model they derived from measuring telomere length at the population level to calculate your biological age in TeloYears, or the actual age of a typical man or woman whose telomere length is similar to yours.

So, for example, my chronological age is 34, but my biological age (I was shocked) was far different. You find out what it was in today's podcast with my guest Jason Shelton.

Jason Shelton joined Telomere Diagnostics in 2014 with nearly two decades of start-up, medical device, and consumer healthcare experience. Most recently, Jason was CEO of EarLens Corporation where he led the company’s efforts in product development, regulatory affairs, and operational milestones. Prior to joining EarLens, he served as Vice President of Marketing, Health Policy, and Clinical Affairs for Sonitus Medical, a medical device company marketing the SoundBite™ Hearing System. While at Sonitus he helped achieve critical milestones including product design, development, clinical trials, FDA clearance, reimbursement, and commercial launch in the US and Europe. Jason also held leadership positions at BioForm Medical, Align Technology, and SmithKline Beecham, Inc. (now GlaxoSmithKline). Jason received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from The Ohio State University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-What telomeres are and why they are so important when it comes to anti-aging and longevity…[14:40]

-The results of the fascinating NASA twin study on astronauts on telomere length…[18:45]

-Why different people of different ages and populations have different telomere lengths…[22:05]

-How you can find out your age in “Teloyears” based on a single drop of blood that analyzes your white blood cells…[24:30]

-How often to repeat a telomere test to see if what you are doing is actually working…[31:05]

-How a “popular” Westernized version of a Mediterranean diet may be flawed when it comes to anti-aging effect…[33:00]

-The best kind of exercise to do if you want to decrease the rate at which your telomeres shorten…[49:40 & 64:00]

-And much more…

Resources from this episode:

The Teloyears telomere testing Jason and I discuss

Ben Greenfield's own telomere testing results

Chilipad

Oura Ring

The Anti-Aging Secrets Of Some Of The Fittest Old People

-Book: The Telomere Effect

-Book: The Metabolic Approach to Cancer: Integrating Deep Nutrition, the Ketogenic Diet, and Nontoxic Bio-Individualized Therapies

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Jason or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

Ask Ben a Podcast Question

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17 thoughts on “Telomere Testing: Everything You Need To Know About A Cutting-Edge New Longevity Test That Tells You Your Cellular Age.

  1. Cassie says:

    Ben-

    Is there anyone else you recommend for telomere testing besides Teloyears? I’m not finding any tests I can order myself besides them.

    I’m not sure they are worth recommending anymore. Today is December 16th. I ordered a test from them on July 1. It didn’t ship until July 29th. I received it on August 6th and sent it back the same day. On September 4th they emailed me and said my sample was too degraded, they were rushing me another kit and I would get the results expedited in 2-3 weeks. The kit didn’t get to me until September 22nd. I sent it back and they received it on September 25th. By their own commitment, I should have had my results between October 9th-16th. I emailed them on October 30th, they “sincerely apologized” and said it would be an additional 2-3 weeks because of all their Covid testing. That was 47 days ago.

    They don’t respond to emails, phone calls (no one picks up on their main customer service line) and I’ve tried leaving a message for Jason Shelton and no one got back to me.

    Today is 168 days since I ordered the test.

    If you have any other companies for me, I’d gladly take them. I’ve been waiting on these results before I start epithalon and I’m done waiting.

    Thanks.

    1. Sorry to hear about your experience with them! I would listen to this podcast, it goes into testing epigenetic markers vs. telomere lengths: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/self-qua… It has a few alternative testing options for you as well.

  2. Mariela Seibert says:

    i was interested but there is a question from 2017, that is not answered yet, here. someone asking about the side effects.

    I’m curious to know what your thoughts are on Nobel prize winner’s, Elizabeth Blackburn, study of pond scum, telomerase and tilomeres. Because according to her you can’t use something like telomerase to increase the length of your telomeres without significantly increasing your risk of cancer.

    Have the people you interviewed or any studies you’ve read found a way to circumnavigate that side effect? It wasn’t something addressed in the interview

    1. Here's a more up to date episode that dives into telomere testing, strategies to enhance longevity/anti-aging and much more: http://bit.ly/2JCBR0v

  3. Heather LEe says:

    Are there any recommended health care practitioners that offer consultation or coaching using results from Teloyears, DNA Testing like 23&me and Viome results to help offer a holistic/combined interpretation and suggested health and wellness plan?

    1. I would recommend using one of these directories to find a good functional medicine or naturopathic practitioner in your area:
      • FunctionalMedicine.org – Find a Practitioner, including MDs, DC, ND, etc.
      • aihm.org/find – to find an integrative health practitioner
      • acatoday.org – for a good chiropractor – Use their "Find a Doctor" tool to use their directory
      • Naturopathic.org – Use their "Find a Doctor" tool to use their directory
      • Undoctoredhealth.com – A good, relatively new directory of trusted practitioners
      • HealthProfs.com – Another decent directory
      • PrimalDocs.com – Good docs who treat based on an ancestral medicine approach
      • PaleoPhysiciansNetwork.com – Paleo "friendly" physicians

  4. Sarah says:

    I just got my test back. I’m about to turn 46 and my teloyears is 54!!!!
    I am 115# 5’5 and 19% bf. I exercise daily walking and weights, I eat tons of organic veggies, wild salmon, grass fed meat and organs. I sleep 7-8hrs every night, eat Keto/paleo past 4 years, healthy SAD prior and 10 yrs vegan/marathon runner in my 20s. I’m happpily married, two kids via natural child birth, breast fed each almost 2 years.
    Downsides: I’m generally stressed by life (SAHM), hashimotos, history of adrenal dysfunction. Smoked cigs and drank heavily off and on/college. Raised by smokers. Exposed to miold 3 yrs ago.
    Thoughts? Not sure what more I can do besides up the sauna and meditation.

  5. Sherwin says:

    I’m curious to know what your thoughts are on Nobel prize winner’s, Elizabeth Blackburn, study of pond scum, telomerase and tilomeres. Because according to her you can’t use something like telomerase to increase the length of your telomeres without significantly increasing your risk of cancer.

    Have the people you interviewed or any studies you’ve read found a way to circumnavigate that side effect? It wasn’t something addressed in the interview.

    Something that I think most people would be interested in, as we look to reverse the effects of aging, but not wanting to be exploited by someone looking to use the latest in scientific evidence to work in their favor of making a quick buck.

  6. Chad W says:

    Ben: would you please provide references for your comments on sleep temperature and DNA repair mechanisms?

    I can’t find anything about that specifically on pubmed, google scholar or semantic scholar

    Thanks

  7. Michael Walker says:

    Thanks for the link very interesting ;)

  8. Randy says:

    Ben, I was surprised you didn’t ask Jason what he thought of “telomerase activators” such as TA-65.

  9. Matthew Lee says:

    Hey Ben,

    Great podcast! I’d be interested to know my age in teloyears since everyone thinks I look young for my age. I have been interested in getting a cooling mat for my bed. Do you recommend the Chilipad brand? Is it worth the large price tag? (I’m a cheap college kid)

    Thanks man!

    Matthew

  10. Theron James says:

    Based on this article, the test seems to oversimplify.

    “We are nowhere near clinic- and community-ready measures of telomeres, because our methods disagree with each other and with assessments analyzed in other labs, and because efforts to develop summary numbers depend on the assumptions and statistics that are used. Importantly, there are no commonly-accepted calibrators or standards, so comparison across laboratories and the studies that rely on them is difficult.” http://sciencebasedmedicine.org/skeptics-guide-to…

    1. J says:

      Glad to read this. Was wondering if the science was solid yet.

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