Have you ever wondered why some people  seem to effortlessly thrive in business and family life while looking and feeling years younger than their actual age? Biological age could have something to do with it. 

Chronological age is simply the number of years a person has lived. Your biological age reveals how well a person is aging based on the health of their cells. Biological age is becoming an increasing topic of interest in the wellness and longevity space. This is mainly due to the insights it can provide for those seeking to age with every possible advantage. 

But is it rooted in science? Or hype?

What Exactly Is Biological Age and Why Does It Matter?

The foundation of biological age is a measure of cellular aging. Your cells make up your entire body – every bone, tissue and organ is made of them. So, it makes sense that healthy cells are essential for longevity and optimal health. 

Here’s 4 Reasons High Performers Should Care About Cellular Aging

• Your Cellular Health Has a Big Impact on Your Energy: Your mitochondria are cellular power houses that help to produce ATP which is kind of like battery fluid for your body. 
  
  When your cellular health is compromised, the mitochondria are not as effective which can lead to reduced ATP production. In turn, you end up feeling like you need a nap before lunch and/or copious amounts of caffeine just to get through the day.
   
• Your Cellular Health Can Provide Insights on Chronic Disease Risk: Rapid cellular aging increases your risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, cognitive decline and more. 

• Your Cellular Health Impacts Your Appearance: When cells are aging well, skin looks more youthful, glowy and plump. When they are not, it shows up in more fine lines, wrinkles and loss of collagen. 

• Your Cellular Health Affects Stress Resilience: How your body responds to stress is key for maintaining your energy (and a level head) when you’re juggling multiple demands.  Younger cells handle stress better making it less likely that you’ll burnout.  

Your cellular health can also impact your productivity, mental clarity, mood, metabolism, ability to lose weight, hormone health and more. It really is the basis for all biological processes in your body. Making this a primary focus is key if you want to be a person who thrives with every year that passes versus feeling like you’re barely surviving. 

Do Biological Age Tests Actually Work?

Now that we’ve covered the importance of cellular health and aging, it begs the question:  Are biological age tests accurate?  Or is this a money grab that preys on people who prioritize wellness and longevity? The answer is in the science. 

Biological age tests are based on biomarkers and epigenetics – two concepts that we’ll explore more below:

What Are Biomarkers? 

Biomarkers are like red flags. They are quantifiable measurements that alert to potential risks and health issues in the future if they aren’t resolved. Some examples of biomarkers are blood sugar levels, cellular inflammation, antioxidant levels, cellular toxicity, blood pressure, etc. 

Why You Should Care: Biomarkers can show you where you’re doing well, where you’re at risk and what specifically you need to do to improve. 

What Is Epigenetics?

If you think of your DNA as the blueprint of your entire body, epigenetics is the science of how your DNA is expressed. Contrary to what many people believe, DNA is not the sole predictor of your health. Your lifestyle greatly impacts whether disease genes are “turned on” or “turned off.”

Why You Should Care: Understanding your epigenetics on a personal level can empower you to make choices that align with the healthy lifestyle you want to create. 

A good biological age test will be rooted in measuring cellular health through biomarkers. It should also make lifestyle recommendations that impact epigenetics with the goal of silencing the expression of disease genes. 

3 Types of Biological Age Tests & Are They Legit?

What Are Telomere Length Tests?

First of all, what are telomeres? They are protective end caps found at the end of chromosomes that are designed to protect your DNA. Think of them like the plastic tips on shoelaces. Every time your cells replicate, your telomeres shorten a bit. When telomeres become too short, it accelerates aging, thus the basis of telomere length tests. 

These tests typically require blood or saliva samples and are a comparative measurement against the average for your age group. 

Telomere length is a scientifically validated concept that has been studied and used to predict aging for decades. However, it is not a holistic picture of cellular health and longevity. While it’s data is reliable, it is just one indicator and should be used with that context in mind. 

What Are DNA Methylation Tests?

DNA Methylation tests are also known as epigenetic tests. They measure methyl groups that are attached to your DNA. Scientists have identified predictable patterns of DNA methylation and have used them to create “epigenetics clocks.” These clocks can accurately estimate your biological age, cellular health and how you feel and function on a daily basis. 

DNA methylation tests typically require a blood sample and are highly accurate. They are considered the gold standard for predicting biological age. This type of testing is supported by thousands of peer-reviewed studies and can provide a lot of data and valuable insight into your health. 

This is also one of the cons. The data produced by some of these tests can be overwhelming and sometimes difficult to interpret due to conflicting information presented in the results. This is also still an emerging field of study which means that what’s relevant today may not be tomorrow. 

What Are Blood Biomarker Tests?

Blood biomarker tests do exactly what they say. They measure biomarkers (red flags) within the blood. These are helpful for identifying disease risk, measuring inflammation, nutrient levels, hormone balance and metabolic health among other things. 

Common biomarkers tested are:

• Glucose and Insulin: measures blood sugar control 
• CRP (C-Reactive Protein): measures inflammation 
• Homocysteine: Indicator of cardiovascular and brain health 
• Ferritin and Iron: Energy and oxidative stress
• Liver and Kidney Enzymes: detox and organ function 
• Lipid Profiles: indicator for heart health
• Vitamin D, B12, folate:  energy, immunity, and cognitive function

The great thing about blood biomarker tests is that they are commonly used and easily accessed through doctors. If you choose to do a blood biomarker test it’s best to work with a functional health doctor that uses a functional lab company versus the run of the mill “blood work” you might get at a typical primary care office. 

The standard “blood work” panels lack the sophistication to be used for optimal wellness and definitely shouldn’t be relied upon for predicting longevity or biological age. That said, these types of tests can provide some valuable insights into key factors influencing your overall health, they just don’t provide a holistic perspective. They’re best used in conjunction with other forms of testing like DNA methylation. 

Other Factors to Consider On Biological Age

There are dozens of ways to measure biological age. It can be measured as whole for your entire body and it can also be measured based on specific organs and even your blood. You are only as young as your oldest biological age. For example, if your heart is measuring at 35 but your brain is measuring at 45, your biological age is 45. You are only as young as your oldest organ.  

What Are the Best Biological Age Tests?

Based on their robust scientific validation and accuracy DNA Methylation tests are the best. I am in the process of testing multiple companies to share my experience with you at a later date. Until then, I won’t recommend any specific brand because I don’t like to recommend products that I haven’t actually tried (and loved!). Stay tuned for a thorough review of 3 of the top tests. 

Should You Take a Biological Age Test?

After having taken a biological age test, I am inclined to say yes (I will share my results in a future post). The insights they can provide are extremely valuable and could potentially add years to your life if you take action on the areas you need to improve. It can also provide a kick in the pants to get your butt in gear if you’ve been dragging your feet when it comes to your health. Your personal data can be very motivating. 

That said, I would not recommend getting a test if you are not willing to do the work to improve the results. Also, if you’re prone to anxiety or overwhelm you might skip it. You should ask yourself how you will feel if your bio age is much older than your chronological age. 

Will you be ready to be constructive and do something about it or are you more likely to feel depressed spiral downward? If a test like this can trigger unhealthy patterns I would probably skip it and focus on other ways to improve your health.  

Now I want to hear from you. Have you taken a biological health test? What was your experience? Are you interested in taking one for the future? Share in the comments below!