Why do some people remain fit and healthy in their later years while others become increasingly frail? Researchers from Kings College London have been following thousands of twins for 30 years in an effort to understand how each of us ages differently. And some of their findings will surprise you! In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks to Claire Steves to better understand what all this means, shedding light on how aging works and what we can do about it: Dr. Claire Steves is a senior lecturer at King's College London, a medical doctor, and the clinical director at TwinsUK Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide Timecodes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:10 - Topic introduction 01:39 - Quickfire questions 03:16 - Claire’s work during the pandemic 05:17 - What happens in our bodies when we age? 08:26 - Genes and aging 09:33 - What factors affect aging? 11:39 - Effects of physical activity 12:23 - Microbiome effects on aging 13:33 - Claire’s research 19:11 - What evidence is there that we can slow the effects of aging? 21:44 - What are some modifiable factors that can help reduce aging effects? 23:06 - Alzheimer's and dementia 28:21 - Stimulating your brain 29:45 - The importance of social interaction for the brain 31:02 - Diet. health and aging 35:27 - Menopause 37:30 - Actionable advice about maximizing health while aging 39:14 - The biggest myth about aging 42:20 - Summary 43:41 - Goodbyes 43:50 - Outro Episode transcripts are available here Find Claire’s publications here The UK’s largest adult twin registry - Twins UK Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/ Have an idea for a podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

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