Chronic Stress is Prematurely Aging You

But it doesn’t have to

May 28, 2025

Welcome!

If you’re new to this space: In addition to having a functional nutrition private practice, I’m also a fractional CMO and Advisor to food, FemTech, health and wellness, and climate/sustainability startups. I’m called to do impact-driven work, whether 1:1 with nutrition private clients, in small groups with corporate clients, or with the startups shaping the future of women’s health and wellness. Occasionally, I’ll share what that work looks like across all of those areas of my life, which is why I’m highlighting my upcoming trip to NY in support of Springboard’s Women’s Health Accelerator Program.

In good health,

Dr. F

News & Events

I’ll be in NY mid-June for the Springboard Women’s Health Cohort Final Demo Day. If you’re in the area, let me know!

What I’m Reading

Springboard and Accenture’s State of Women’s Health Part 2 and the MAHA Report (please don’t make this political; I have maaaaaany opinions, none of which I’ll share right now).

Chronic Stress is Prematurely Aging You

We’ve all had those days … when it feels like the stress, the chaos, the daily GRIND-ness of it all feels like it’s taken a month off your life. Ever had a job that feels like time is counted in dog-years? Yeah. You know what I’m talking about. For me, personally, I ended one job with faaar more grey hairs than I started with after what felt like 12 years on the job (it was only 6). Chronic stress and intermittent acute stress take its toll.

I mean, you only have to look at every (semi-youthful) U.S. President at the beginnings and ends of their terms to visibly see the impact stress has on a person – no amount of Botox, face lifts, or hair dye can hide it.

Though we can see it and feel it, the biological mechanisms behind it are still being documented. But what we know for sure: Chronic stress leads to a host of chronic health conditions, it impacts the body and mind, and it leads to cellular aging.

What we think is certain: Chronic stress shortens telomere length via cortisol response and may accelerate immune aging.

Let’s Talk Telomeres & Senescence

Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of a chromosome; they’re made of repetitive DNA and keep the ends of the chromosomes from becoming tangled or frayed¹. If they become tangled, frayed, get cut off or randomly join other loose tangles of DNA, they can’t replicate appropriately. And, here’s the thing, every time a cell divides the telomeres get shorter and shorter … eventually, the cell’s telomeres become so short they can no longer divide and the cell dies.

The shortening of the telomeres as they replicate are what represent cellular senescence and aging – accelerated loss of telomere length and senescence are common amongst age-related diseases, like some cancers, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and premature mortality^2,3. I will say, here, that telomere length and age may play contributing roles to things like CVD, but we can’t forget the critical role the consistent nutrition and lifestyle choices we make have in the development of chronic conditions, even those commonly referred to as “age-related.”

Senescence is what happens when cells stop dividing but are still alive and metabolically active. They’re still capable of releasing inflammation-provoking substances (like reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, aka free radicals) which can contribute to low-grade chronic inflammation and can damage nearby healthy cells⁴.

The Role of Chronic Stress and Telomeres

Chronic stress (and many other types of stress, like traumatic stress, prenatal stress, intense physiological stress) has been linked to the shortening of telomeres. At the same time, we know that stressful events and psychosocial stress drive the stress response in the body through a cascade of neurotransmitters and hormones, particularly cortisol.

Interestingly, research is showing us that individuals with a higher cortisol response tend to have shorter telomeres⁵. And, the greater the physiological response to stress (aka the more stressed out you feel), the more likely you may be to have an outsized (aka overreactive) response to otherwise mild stressors in the future⁵. This can perpetuate an internal state of chronic stress with the body continuing to produce cortisol. In this way, chronic stress and cortisol may contribute to shortened telomeres (there’s a whole mess of physiological actions that demonstrate the how and why, feel free to check out the article in the References section, if you want to get nerdy on it).

Simply, if dramatically: Chronic stress = higher cortisol response = shorter telomeres = shorter cellular life = shorter LIFE

The continuous or frequent intermittent production of cortisol also can keep the body’s immune system trying to protect itself with a continued immune response. And, if you recall from above, senescent cells may have stopped dividing but are still alive and can continue to produce inflammation-producing free radicals which, in turn, can cause “internal rusting,” or oxidative stress. The body, essentially, ends up with an inflammation and oxidative stress double whammy. This is before accounting for the inflammation and internal stress the body encounters from the foods we choose to eat.

What Can We Do?

Here are 4 ways to keep those telomeres long and the stress at bay:

1. Proactively manage your stress

Choose a method that works for you and your schedule, whether it’s a physical activity, breathing exercises, journaling, a favorite hobby, meditation, getting enough high-quality sleep, or something else. Breath work is great because you can do it anywhere – especially when stressed.

2. Exercise

Physical activity can also protect/preserve telomere length and reduce mental/emotional stress.

3. Get your vitamin D

A Vitamin D supplement of 2,000 IUs per day can help reduce telomere shortening and preserve telomere length³. Be mindful of all sources of vitamin D and the total amount you may be consuming; be sure to stay under 4,000 IUs total (the upper intake levels for adults 19+ years of age), unless guided by a qualified medical professional. Too much supplemental Vitamin D can be dangerous, and since it’s fat-soluble, if you overdo it, it can take some time for effects to subside. Vitamin D supplementation is not for everyone, check with your health care professional before adding any new supplements to your routine.

It’s much more preferable to get your vitamin D from 10-20 minutes of early morning sunshine (refrain from direct afternoon sun, when the heat from the sun can get too hot and you go from soaking in the vitamin D to getting sun damage) and through food.

4. Stay away from inflammation-provoking foods

Foods (and beverages) that are high in refined carbohydrates, high in saturated fats, and high in sodium can continue to drive the inflammation response and immune activation in your body.

How Stress Affects the Body

As a reminder, here’s a handy image that shows how various parts of the body are affected by the stress response. It can take hours for you body to come back to normal after its stress response is activated. Think of all the ways you experience daily stressors; it’s easy to see how chronic stress and the effects that come from it can occur and compound.