53-year-old doctor claims she has reversed her biological age to 23: Here's how she did it
Dr Alka Patel is a longevity and lifestyle medicine doctor based in London. If you ask her how old she is, the chances are she might give you two answers - 53 and 23. Both are true. It may sound
irrational, but it really isn’t. Her chronological age might be 53, but her biological age is 23, as she insists. She has managed to reverse her biological age by 30 years, by some simple biohacking tricks! Before we delve into the details, let’s take a look at what biological age is.
What is biological age
When someone asks you how old you are, you may give them a number of how many years you have been alive. That's chronological age.
Biological age, on the other hand, isn’t about how long you have been alive. It rather looks at how a person is aging, based on many different factors and biomarkers such as DNA methylation patterns, telomere length, inflammation levels, and organ function. These factors indicate how your body is aging at a cellular and physiological level. Factors such as lifestyle, genetics, and environmental factors may influence biological age.
Ageing
“A younger biological age means your cells and tissues are functioning as though you’re much younger: in your heart health, your brain sharpness, your skin glow. It’s not just about feeling better; it’s about becoming younger,” Dr. Alka Patel said.
How did she reverse the biological age
Talking to The Metro, Dr. Patel spoke about how she has been helping people to live longer and stronger in her 20-year practice as a GP. This interest was sparked by something personal. On her 39th birthday, she was hospitalized due to a severe fever. The doctors couldn't find the cause. She was even 'cut open' by the surgeons, and was later diagnosed with PUO – Pyrexia of Unknown Origin. She left with scars and burnout, which is when she decided to rewrite her health story.
Prioritizing health
Her medical background came in handy, and she started to look at her biomarkers. “I redesigned how I lived: what I ate, how I moved, how I slept, and how I responded to the daily demands of life. Total lifestyle reset,” she told the publication. She managed to reset her system and reverse her age to 23, with six simple biohacking tricks.
Biohacking steps
1-10The Sunshine Sync: Step outside in the morning sunlight for 1 minute, and then close your eyes for 10 seconds and set your purpose for the day.
2-20 The Power Pulse: Walk for 2 minutes, then sprint as fast as you can for 20 seconds.
3-30 The Hydration Habit: Take 3 gulps of water every 30 minutes.
4-40 The Compliment Catalyst: Give 4 compliments every day that take 40 seconds to deliver.
5-50 The Flexibility Fix: Do 5 different stretches. Hold each for 50 seconds.
6-60 The Breathflow Boost: Slow down your breathing to 6 breaths for a minute every 60 minutes.