Is happiness the key to a long life? Discover the intriguing connection between mood and aging

New research from the University of Connecticut suggests that both!
And while this isn't the first study of its kind to point to a link between depression and accelerated aging, it adds to a growing body of evidence that your mental health and outlook can have a huge impact on the quality and length of your life. .
Older people with depression age faster, say scientists. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a positive mental outlook on life is associated with better health indicators, including lower blood pressure, less cardiovascular disease and improved blood sugar levels.

And this year, research published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Mental Health highlights the opposite effect: that is, depression, especially in older adulthood, is associated with faster biological aging and poorer health.
The study was conducted by researchers at the UConn Center on Aging and drew on data from 426 adults diagnosed with "late-life depression." For their study, the researchers took blood samples from the participants and measured the levels of aging-related proteins (these proteins are released from "old," cells that don't function optimally and promote harmful inflammation in the body). Although the study did not have a control group (say, older adults without depression) to confirm their findings, the researchers did come up with some interesting data: People who had higher levels of aging-related proteins in their blood were also more likely to have medical problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Accelerated biological aging in depressed adults is linked to poorer heart health (confirmed by other research cited by Psychology Today that shows chronic depression can be as harmful to heart health as smoking—yes, smoking!)
People with higher levels of the aging-related protein also performed worse on cognitive tests of brain health and function.

The researchers further note that depression in older adulthood is also associated with other negative outcomes, including increased risk of frailty, poorer quality of life, reduced functional independence, and increased risk of dementia and premature death.

Contrast this with another study published in 2020 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

This study found that a positive mental outlook is associated with better brain function in older people. In fact, the researchers “found that white matter integrity and stable executive function appear to be important for maintaining healthy mood in late life,” the NIA explains in an article discussing the study in a Dec. 17, 2020, article. published on their website. (As a reminder, white matter is “the place where information is transferred from one region of the brain to another,” according to the NIA, while executive function is “the ability to perform complex tasks such as planning or decision-making that require focused attention.") In other words: the healthier your brain is in late adulthood, the better your chances of avoiding late-life depression and maintaining a more positive mental attitude (and enjoying all the other health benefits associated with a positive outlook).

If optimizing your brain health as you age can improve your mood (and maybe vice versa), here are some things you should focus on. So if you want to maintain healthy brain matter, cognitive function, and mood as you age—and even fight depression while you're at it, here's what the NIA recommends:
Take care of your physical health (e.g. limit the use of alcohol, get enough sleep, be in daylight every day,
manage chronic health conditions with a trusted integrative healthcare provider, etc.) Eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet that promotes a healthy body mass (generally speaking, this is a diet rich in things like organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, wild edible herbs while is low in things like processed foods and refined sugar)
Stay physically active. Sweat through physical work at least once a day.
Stay cognitively active through things like reading, doing puzzles, learning new skills, or picking up a new hobby.
Build and maintain good social connections.
Manage stress (things like journaling, yoga, therapy, and improving sleep hygiene can help).
And remember, old dogs can learn new tricks, but it's never too early to start investing in their future health and well-being!
Written by: Sara Middleton, Editor | June 1, 2023 depression-associated-with-accelerated-aging (NaturalHealth365)
Sources for this article include: UConn.edu, NIA.NIH.gov, Priroda.com, Lifeextension., Psychologytoday.com