This Body Part Ages Faster Than the Rest of You

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology used extremely precise atomic clocks to make the discovery.

Aging, woman outdoorsPhoto Credit: Shuttertsock

What body part ages the fastest?

Instead of worrying how old your hands look, consider this: Your head is actually aging faster than the rest of your body. Before you freak out, though, know that it’s only by nanoseconds – 90 billionths of a second over 79 years, to be exact. That kind of difference isn’t even noticed by humans.

What’s the secret to Cindy Crawford’s flawless skin? These 5 habits.

So, why does this happen?

A beauty company might not tell you this. But why our faces age fast is simple. This happens because of a relativity theory that Einstein developed and scientists later proved: The rate at which time moves depends on how fast you’re moving and how close you are to a gravitational field. For example, clocks at higher elevations run slightly faster than those at sea level.

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) wanted to test that theory on an even smaller scale at just a one-foot difference. They used atomic clocks that “tick” as a single aluminum ion vibrates between two energy levels over one million billion times per second. When they raised one clock one-third of a metre (about one foot) above the other, the higher one ran at a slightly faster rate because it experienced a smaller gravitational force.

So if time moves faster at a difference of only a foot, it definitely goes faster at the height difference between your head and your feet, making your head the “oldest” part of your body. (This anti-aging workout could add years to your life, and it could make you feel (and look) younger too.)

Again, this aging doesn’t make any substantial impact on human appearance – we probably would have noticed by now if it did – although NIST believes the discovery could have practical applications in fields like geophysics. If you’re still concerned about your face getting older, try adopting these 10 foods into your daily diet to give your skin a glow from the inside out.

This does has us wondering though… are our more petite friends younger looking than our taller gal pals?

The Healthy
Originally Published on The Healthy