In all of the incidences, the team observed that biological age increased in times of several physiological stress—but was reversed or almost reversed after the stressful situation had resolved—making this the first study of its kind to provide such strong evidence that biological age can be reversed when stress is mitigated.

As lead study author Jesse Poganik, Ph.D., explains in a news release, “Severe stress can trigger biological age to increase, but if that stress is short lived, the signs of biological aging can be reversed.”

And as senior author Vadim Gladyshev, Ph.D., adds, “When stress was relieved, biological age could be restored. This means that finding ways to help the body recover from stress could increase longevity.”