| Aging - Causes and Treatments Our understanding of the aging process has been changing for
decades. What was once a belief that aging is a natural and inevitable fact of
life is emerging into a view that aging is a disease which is, to a significant
degree, treatable. As research advances, our understanding of the mechanisms of
aging becomes more clear.
Current aging research points to two primary categories of
aging:
1.
Accumulating Damage
2. Internal
Clock
Accumulating Damage
As we get older we gradually accumulate damage from various
sources. Although our bodies attempt to repair much of the damage, there is
always some that is not repaired 100%. Over time the accumulation of damage
transforms us into "aged" beings.
Once just a theory, accumulated damage is now a well
documented cause of aging. It turns out that we can do a lot to manipulate this
cause of aging. We reduce the rate of damage and at the same time increase the
rate of repair.
There are two major causes of damage:
1. Free
Radicals
2.
Sugar Related Protein Crosslinking
(Glycation)
Free Radicals
Free radicals are high energy chemicals that are part of
nature... Part of living. They are generated by our bodies continuously. Left
unchecked, they can cause rapid damage and even death. As an example, the
massive brain damage that occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen is caused
by unchecked free radicals. The problem is that free radicals cause the
formation of more free radicals as they damage healthy tissue. If this process
is not controlled, it will cascade into a chain reaction that can cause
extensive damage in mere moments.
There are many different types of free radicals and many
causes for their production. Free radicals are produced when tissue is exposed
to radiation such as sunlight or x-rays. Free radicals are produced in response
to chemicals such as those contained in cigarette smoke, air pollution, excess
alcohol and pesticides as well as from other free radicals. The obvious first
step is to avoid these producers of free radicals. Even so, we can't escape all
free radicals.
The second step is to control the free radicals once they are
formed. The body uses antioxidants to keep the free radicals under control.
Antioxidants are chemicals that neutralize or quench free radicals. Without
antioxidants, we would not live very long at all. Oxygen is a free radical
quencher (in proper concentrations) which explains why rapid brain damage and
death occur when the oxygen supply is cut off. Research has identified hundreds
of antioxidant nutrients. By increasing the intake of these nutrients, we can
reduce the damage before it occurs. Some of the primary antioxidant nutrients
are Vitamins C & E, the mineral selenium, alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme-Q10,
proanthocyanadins such as those found in red wine, grape seeds, and blueberries
and polyphenols such as those contained in green tea.
An example of the advantages of controlling free radicals:
Research has determined that LDL's (bad cholesterol) won't build up in the
arteries causing heart disease until they are oxidized. One hundred milligrams
per day of the antioxidant coenzyme-Q10 is enough to prevent the oxidation of
LDL's.
Sugar Related Protein Crosslinking (Glycation)
Protein is the primary building material of our soft tissues.
Our muscles, skin, blood cells, genetic material (DNA), blood vessels, eye
lenses and connective tissue are made of proteins. These proteins can become
unnaturally linked to sugar molecules forming damaged non-functioning proteins.
As time goes on, these damaged proteins can accumulate and reduce the
functionality of our bodies. This process is accelerated in diabetics who have
an abnormally high blood sugar level but it also occurs at a slower rate in all
of us. We can't live without sugar in our blood but we can protect our proteins
from glycation in two ways.
First, we can take measures to prevent our blood sugar levels
from rising above necessary levels. Blood sugar levels are best kept between 80
and 100. The adequate protein - low carbohydrate style of eating is the best way
to accomplish this goal. I'm not condoning a "hi protein" diet but an "adequate
protein" diet. There is a huge difference.
Secondly, we can inhibit the glycation crosslinking process
significantly even in the presence of adequate blood sugar. The most powerful
anti-glycation substance known to date is carnosine. Don't confuse carnosine
with the amino acid carnitine. Carnosine is
a multifunctional dipeptide made up of a chemical combination of the amino acids
beta-alanine and L-histidine.
Internal Clock
The internal clock is one of the most interesting factors in
aging. Each specie has a maximum life span. If you were able to prevent all of
the accumulated damage and wear and tear, people would live to be about one
hundred and twenty years old without significant aging. Then we would simply
die! This is because in addition to gradually becoming damaged we also have an
internal clock that begins ticking when we are born. Each time a cell divides
and replicates to replace damaged or lost cells, the cell's clock advances
another tick.
It has been known for some time that cells can divide and
replicate only so many times. This was discovered by and named the Hayflck
limit. Until recently, we had no idea what the mechanism of this limit was.
Several years ago, research identified the clock. At the end
of our chromosomes is a segment of genetic material called the telomere.
Telomeres are different from the rest of the chromosome in that they don't carry
any genetic information. They are simply a repeated pattern. Each time a cell
divides, the new cell loses a small section of each telomere. As the telomeres
become shorter with successive divisions, the function of the cell begins to be
affected. When the telomeres of a cell become sufficiently shortened, the cell
becomes senescent and can no longer divide or function.
Damage to cells causes them to divide and replicate to repair
the damage or replace cells lost to the damage. The first line of defense is to
reduce damage in the ways discussed above.
Researchers are working on methods of lengthening telomeres.
We know that it is possible to lengthen telomeres because that is exactly what
happens in cancer cells. Cancer cells produce an enzyme called telomerase which
lengthens their telomeres. This makes the cells immortal... Capable of
reproducing endlessly into uncontrollable tumors. Learning to manipulate
telomeres could lengthen human life span tremendously and might also provide a
universal cure to cancer.
Summary
Aging is a disease. It is treatable. The understanding and
knowledge of anti-aging research is growing exponentially... Doubling every 4
years. The purpose of this website is to help my friends and family keep up with
the developments in this exciting field and to make quality products available
at the lowest cost possible.
Ultimately we are each responsible for our own health. The
medical community is one of our tools. The research community is another. If you
would like to receive periodic e-mails informing you of new developments in
anti-aging research, use the feedback form.
|
