All Mabel ever wanted was to be stable, steady, reliable. For her, change is the ultimate enemy. She doesn’t care about being sexy or making a big splash; she just wants to be dependable. Made up of two strands of twisting DNA, Mabel knows she always has to remain the same, no matter what happens to her, because she holds within her all of the information that tells the body what to do. She’s the blueprint for this entire cell.

So, Mabel is careful. When she replicates, sometimes mistakes are made. But, she always makes sure to call the repairman first thing. When the sun and pollution and a hundred other things cause mutations or breaks in her, she seeks help immediately.

Sadly, Mabel is having a harder time keeping up these days. The mistakes, mutations, and breaks are happening too often. And, the repairmen are barely working. What’s with the labor force these days? Does nobody want a job? She can’t get anything done!  So, through no fault of her own, Mabel is falling apart, and it’s going to affect the viability of the entire cell.

What is happening inside my body?

DNA damage leads to genomic instability, one of the hallmarks of aging. Each time a cell divides, the DNA must be replicated precisely. Given that a single cell contains three billion individual letters (nucleotides) within its DNA, it’s easy to see how replicating such a sequence would result in errors.

DNA damage leads to genomic instability, one of the hallmarks of aging. Each time a cell divides, the DNA must be replicated precisely. Given that a single cell contains three billion individual letters (nucleotides) within its DNA, it’s easy to see how replicating such a sequence would result in errors.

Damage to the DNA also occurs due to external and internal stressors, such as pollution, UV radiation, and oxidative stress. Usually, when errors occur in the DNA, special repair mechanisms step in and fix the majority of them before they can cause problems. Loss of these repair mechanisms can lead to rapid aging as well as cancer.

Damage to the DNA also occurs due to external and internal stressors, such as pollution, UV radiation, and oxidative stress. Usually, when errors occur in the DNA, special repair mechanisms step in and fix the majority of them before they can cause problems. Loss of these repair mechanisms can lead to rapid aging as well as cancer.

Why this matters to you

DNA doesn’t always replicate according to plan. Typically these errors in gene expression get caught and corrected; however, over time, these misfires build up and cause our body to wear down. It’s like a broken copy machine that now prints diseases like cancer, MS, and ALS.

How the HOP Box Helps: B vitamins, methyl donors (MTHF, TMG), and Vitamins D and K all lend stability to the DNA, helping Mabel stay just a bit more Stable.

Learn about other downfalls of aging