The oldest pipe organ still in use is in the Basilica of Valere in Sion, Switzerland. At nearly 600 years old, it still has most of its original case and 12 of the original pipes. 

If only we could have our organs age so gracefully.

Unfortunately, a study led by researchers at Stanford University found that around 20% of people age 50 or older have at least one organ that's aging prematurely, increasing the risk for diseases associated with that organ and for premature death by 20% to 50%. 

How did the researchers figure this out? They took blood samples from 1,400 people and looked at proteins associated with the heart, fat, lungs, immune system, kidney, liver, muscles, pancreas, brain, vasculature, and intestines. Then looking at participants’ health history, they saw that when there was an excess of those organ-specific proteins there was also wear-and-tear on the organs.

They also discovered that people with signs of accelerated heart aging had a 250% increased risk of heart failure.

Accelerated aging in kidneys was associated with diabetes, obesity, elevated bad LDL cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Accelerated aging in muscles was linked with trouble walking and poor balance.

For information on supplements that protect your brain and immune system from premature aging, check out the blogs on vitamin C and immune health, and on alpha GPC’s reported brain-boosting benefits at iHerb.com/blog.