Shorty-T

Shorty T is one hip fellow – two strands of perfectly swirled together DNA, adorned with the coolest kicks in town (aka sneakers). Shorty T’s sneakers are unique because, like him, they have SOUL. Or, rather, SOLE. The thick soles of his shoes help protect Shorty T from any number of environmental hazards, but each time Shorty’s cell divides, his soles get a little thinner. This can’t be helped.

What Shorty T doesn’t realize is that every time he opts out of the gym in favor of a boozy brunch or stays up all night dealing with his toxic relationship, the soles of his sneakers are getter ever-thinner. Eventually, Shorty T develops holes in his soles, exposing his perfectly swirled DNA to irreparable damage that puts him out of commission entirely.

What is happening inside my body?

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Shorty T’s story describes the hallmark of aging known as telomere attrition. Each of the 23 chromosomes within your cells has protective endcaps on the DNA strands called telomeres. These telomeres protect the chromosomes from damage and serve as an internal clock that keeps track of how many more times the cell can divide.

Telomeres shorten each time the cell divides, and they shorten even more when exposed to oxidative stress, which can be worsened by poor diet, lack of exercise, chronic stress, and lack of sleep. Once the telomeres reach a critically short length, the cell can no longer divide and essentially gets put out to pasture as a senescent cell.

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Why this matters to you

Telomeres are like the bumpers on a car – they act as a barrier between us and potential harm. When the barrier gets thinner, our DNA stops dividing, and we become much more susceptible to disease.

How HOP Box Helps: Spermidine, B vitamins, vitamin D, and apigenin are just a few of the ingredients that may help stabilize telomeres, which makes Shorty T a very happy fellow.