Anti-Aging – Doctor Scott Health Blog https://www.doctorscotthealth.com Experts in Holistic Sense Mon, 29 Feb 2016 07:05:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.19 The Benefits of Water Fasting – With Patricia Bragg https://www.doctorscotthealth.com/anti-aging/benefits-of-water-fasting-with-patricia-bragg/ https://www.doctorscotthealth.com/anti-aging/benefits-of-water-fasting-with-patricia-bragg/#respond Sat, 17 May 2014 09:22:01 +0000 http://doctorscotthealth.com/?p=1892 General water fasting benefits Research on medical conditions treated with fasting Arthritis – Fasting increases free-serum cortisol levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients which is crucial for the body to lower inflammation. [1] Asthma – Water fasting has been known to reduce asthma symptoms. One study was conducted using water fasting and enterosorption (the removal of toxins through the gut ...

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Benefits of Water Fasting

General water fasting benefits

  • Healing / Immune system boost
  • Anti-aging effect
  • Detoxification
  • Clarity
  • Happiness / Lightness
  • Well-being / Increased energy
  • Larger connection
  • Insight / Self-awareness
  • Spiritual experience

Research on medical conditions treated with fasting

Medical literature on the health benefits of water fastingArthritis – Fasting increases free-serum cortisol levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients which is crucial for the body to lower inflammation. [1]

Asthma – Water fasting has been known to reduce asthma symptoms. One study was conducted using water fasting and enterosorption (the removal of toxins through the gut using activated charcoal, clay or other toxin absorptive media) for bronchial asthma relief. [2 , 3]

Diabetes (Type 2) – A study showed improved metabolism control after a “supplemented fasting” period. They were only allowed 200 calories per day. Blood glucose was normalized, urine glucose was eliminated, their triglycerides went down by 65%, cholesterol by 28% and they increased their good HDL cholesterol by 14%. [4]

Cancer – It has been well documented that fasting during chemotherapy reduces side effects of medication and better responses are seen. Alternate day fasting was shown to be better at this than caloric restriction. [5]

Heart Disease – Studies show a strong correlation with heart health in patients that have undergone short (24-72 hours) but fairly regular water-only fasts. [6]

Irritable Bowel Syndrome – In one study 58 patients were separated into a control group receiving psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (medication) and a fasting group which participated in water-only fasting for 10 days followed by 5 days of refeeding. The groups were retrospectively analyzed. The fasting group had an average of 7 out of 10 symptoms relieved while the control group only had an average of 3 symptoms relieved. The 7 symptoms improved were abdominal pain discomfort, abdominal distension, diarrhea, anorexia, nausea, anxiety and interference with life in general. [7]

"The best of all medicines are rest and fasting." - Benjamin Franklin

Epilepsy / Neurological – It is now well known within the scientific community that many epileptic and other neuro patients respond extremely well to ketogenic diets. This where carbohydrates are kept at a minimum which causes your body to start using ketones instead of glucose as its primary energy source. Water-fasting induces this ketogenic state. [8]

Hypertension / High Blood Pressure – Medically supervised fasts are something that can be coordinated with your physician. It is wise to get a physical and blood work done before starting a longer fast (more than 24 hours) to rule out any conditions that would make the fast more of a risk than a benefit. Many studies have observed blood pressure dropping into a healthy range after a few short fasts. [9]

Depression – In her book, Fasting: An Exceptional Human Experience, psychotherapist Dr. Randi Fredricks, PhD, discusses her clinical experience and research on the qualitative improvements in mood, mental clarity, self-empowerment and an increase in positive thoughts and ability to see the “larger picture.”

Patricia Bragg, CEO of Bragg on Water Fasting

apple-cider-vinegarPatricia Bragg is CEO of Bragg Live Foods, Inc which manufactures the world famous Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar of which her personage and her late father Paul C. Bragg can be seen at the top of the label.

Read our articleBragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar – History, Health Benefits and Uses to learn more about this product and the inspiring legacy and impact these pioneers have made in the health of millions of Americans and others around the world. Patricia also encourages you to read The Miracle of Fasting by her father Paul Bragg.

I had the amazing opportunity and great honor to personally interview this remarkable woman. One of the key topics we covered was fasting. Here is the segment of our interview where Patricia talks about the benefits of water-only fasting. Patricia is such a wonderful person and an inspiring, energetic health advocate. She’ll say she owes much of her youthful appearance, enthusiasm and energy to her regular fasting practice and apple cider vinegar use.

Wait, how can starving yourself be good?

Gandhi would lead people to water fast as a form of non-violent resistance to injustices.

Gandhi used fasting as a form of non-violent protest to injustice.

Isn’t fasting just starving yourself? Isn’t it dangerous or at least bad for your health?

These are common beliefs that continue to be spread by even respectable healthcare professionals. These statements are emphatically FALSE. This is so unfortunate because these popular misconceptions keep millions of people from reaping the life enhancing benefits of water fasting. There are few circumstances/conditions that exclude a person from the benefits of fasting.

Water fasting is one of the oldest practices used throughout time for healing and purifying the body. In addition to its miraculous healing properties, water fasting also plugs individuals into a deeper sense of self and their existence, all while providing unprecedented clarity and personal insight.

Fasting is not starving yourself

True starving is what is seen in those heartbreaking commercials asking you to sponsor a third-world child with visible rib cages and distended bellies. Someone who is malnourished and very underweight should never fast. The feeling of true hunger is different. Your body was made to break down tissue and form it into all the fuel it requires for several weeks with great efficiency.

Fasting used to be a regular part of living. Our ancestors were hunter and gatherers who would experience a bountiful amount of food (after a big hunt or during warmer seasons with plentiful plant foods) followed by periods of scarcity, hunger and therefore fasting. The human body adapted very early on to go long periods of time without food and to do it very efficiently.

Fasting also developed into an important part of the body’s “housekeeping” that eliminated, rejuvenated and optimized all of our trillions of cells. Aside from nearly every religious and spiritual practice advocating the practice of fasting for spiritual and physical health,sages throughout antiquity such the Greek Hippocrates (the Father of Medicine), Pythagoras and Plato all sang the praises of fasting.

“Everyone has a physician inside him or her; we just have to help it in its work.  The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well.  Our food should be our medicine.  Our medicine should be our food.  But to eat when you are sick is to feed your sickness.” – Hippocrates

Different types of fasting

Water fasting woman drinks glass of waterWater Fasting

Water fasting is pretty straight forward; it is abstaining from from food or ingesting anything besides water. In other words, nothing is taken into your body except water. This includes not using gum, medically unnecessary supplements, vitamins, juices, etc.

Water. That’s all you get. You usually perform a fast for at least 16 to 24 hours but experienced fasters can fast anywhere between 10 and 40 days at a time . We will talk more about the duration of a fast in a little bit.

Juice Fasting

Juice fasting is also straight forward. Nothing comes in the body except for juice and water. This type of fast can be a little easier at first than a water fast but after about 3 days water fasters usually lose their hunger sensation while people on a juice fast usually continue to experience some hunger.

An example of a popular modified juice fast is the Master Cleanse or as it’s been more and more frequently referred to as, the Beyonce Lemon Detox Diet, having been popularized by the use of contemporary R&B / Hip-Hop artist Beyonce Knowles. You can read our article the Beyonce Lemon Detox Diet Recipe to learn more and even how to get started with the special make-at-home Master Cleanse solution you drink.

Dry Fasting

Dry fasting is the most extreme type of fasting and not only includes not eating any food but also abstaining from drinking any water. Talk about tough!

The maximum amount of days that a dry fast is usually carried out is  3 days and is usually supervised. It’s not recommended by anyone who is not experienced with regular water fasting and has a knowledgeable, experienced supervisor.

Intermittent Fasting

The 8 Hour Diet - Losing weight through intermittent fastingMore and more research is being done on intermittent fasting and the conclusions are remarkable in terms of health benefits. This type of fast is typically where a person alternates between a fasting period and an eating period. A popular form of intermittent fasting is “Alternate Day Fasting” and requires fasting for 24 hours, followed by non-fasting or ability to eat for 24 hours. Some people continue the alternating cycle indefinitely.

Another form, which I find appealing, allows you to eat everyday; you simply narrow the window you are allowed to eat in a 24 hour period to 8 hours. So you fast for 16 hours (which half or better is usually achieved while sleeping) and you can eat within a 8 hour window you should try to specify and routinely stick to.

This form of intermittent fasting is easy to continue with for long periods of time and produces the same anti-aging effects of “Caloric Restriction” without lack of energy and frailty that is usually seen over time. You’ll definitely want to read my article, Benefits of Intermittent Fasting. Its a long term, hunger-free solution to optimal health and longevity.

Fasting: Highly recommended! Get started

Fasting is a health rejuvenating process and a positive challenge that you should experience for yourself and see if you enjoy the benefits you receive.

At the very least, I recommend fasting for a 24 hour period at least once a month. Once a week is even better. After you have a few 24 hour fasts under your belt start expanding into longer fasts. Here is a good article to get you started when you are ready for a 3 day fast. It explains how to prepare for a fast, what to expect from your body and how to come off of a fast properly so you can ease your digestive track and body into eating whole foods again.

 

 

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Powerful Antioxidants # 01 – White Tea https://www.doctorscotthealth.com/anti-aging/powerful-antioxidants-01-white-tea/ https://www.doctorscotthealth.com/anti-aging/powerful-antioxidants-01-white-tea/#respond Fri, 07 Feb 2014 18:04:39 +0000 http://doctorscotthealth.com/?p=1131 King of Teas White tea is superior in the amount of antioxidants it contains in comparison to all other teas. It will typically contain slightly higher levels of caffeine, lower levels of fluoride and has a more mild and less grassy flavor. It’s a big winner all the way around. Health Benefits White tea contains ...

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White tea has the highest concentration of antioxidants due to the use of early leaf buds and minimal processing

King of Teas

White tea is superior in the amount of antioxidants it contains in comparison to all other teas. It will typically contain slightly higher levels of caffeine, lower levels of fluoride and has a more mild and less grassy flavor. It’s a big winner all the way around.

Health Benefits

White tea contains a large amount of polyphenol antioxidants, the most important of which are a category called catechins. ECGC or epigallocatechin gallate is thought to be the most important catechin as it is the most powerful antioxidant isolated from the tea leaf. White tea provides these big health benefits:

  • Cardio-Protective | Lowers cholesterol, reduces plaque formation
  • Cancer Prevention | Clinically demonstrated to inhibit some forms of cancer
  • Anti-Inflammatory | Shown to alleviate rheumatism / arthritis symptoms
  • Anti-Aging | Antioxidants neutralize free-radicals that damage DNA
  • Brain-Protective | Reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s

Same Plant, Different Results

Different teas made from camillia sinensis - White, Green, Oolong, Black, Pu erhWhite tea is derived from the same plant leaves that black tea, green tea, oolong tea and pu erh tea is – camillia sinensis. Interesting right? White tea leaves are picked at a younger age and therefore contain more antioxidants. Black tea is made from mature plant leaves, green tea from freshly opened leaves and white tea from buds and very early leaves. Oolong tea and pu erh tea are made with different variations of leaf maturation, drying, aging and processing.

Why is it Named White Tea?

Camillia sinensis white tea leaves are early buds or leave with silver or white hairs on them that helped give white tea the nicknameThe early buds on the camillia sinensis plant have silver to whitish thread-like hairs that tend to make the bud or leaf look white at this early stage of development. Also, the tea itself is a very pale yellow and in comparison to its brothers it is the lightest or “whitest.”

The White Tea Process

After the leaves are picked they are allowed to wither in natural sunlight and then are given a little bit of processing to keep any further oxidation to take place. The young buds/leaves yield the highest concentration of antioxidants and the minimal processing keeps them largely intact, more so than green tea or black tea.

Fluoride Content & Tea

The plant that white tea is derived from (camillia sinensis) tends to absorb more fluoride than other plants. The increasing awareness of fluoride as a negative contributor to our health, rather than a positive one, has raised concerns about consuming it through drinking tea. The older the leaves, the more fluoride that is absorbed and incorporated into the leaves.

White tea, being made from very young leaves/buds, has the lowest fluoride of all the teas. This is excellent news for all those trying to eliminate or minimize all sources of fluoride in their diet while still hoping to take advantage of the numerous health benefits from the camillia sinensis tea leaf.

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Resveratrol – Super Supplement, Amazing Health Benefits https://www.doctorscotthealth.com/holistic/what-is-resveratrol-what-are-its-health-benefits/ https://www.doctorscotthealth.com/holistic/what-is-resveratrol-what-are-its-health-benefits/#comments Sun, 08 Dec 2013 03:14:59 +0000 http://doctorscotthealth.com/?p=650 The post Resveratrol – Super Supplement, Amazing Health Benefits appeared first on Doctor Scott Health Blog.

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Resveratrol and its numerous health benefits

Resveratrol infographic showing health benefits, key considerations and effective dose

Download The Full Size Resveratrol Supplement Guide Above!

What is resveratrol?


Resveratrol is most commonly known for being one of the healthy compounds in red wine.

It has been demonstrated through scientific studies that resveratrol has a number of beneficial effects on our health.

1. Antioxidant

2. Protects the heart and cardiovascular system

3. Is showing promise as an anti-aging compound

4. Anti-Diabetic effects

5. Prevents some types of cancer

6. Protects the skin

7. Anti-inflammatory

8. Neuroprotective or in other words it protects the brain

9. Trans-resveratrol increases testosterone levels

10. Has Antiviral effects

11. Reduces opioid tolerance

Resveratrol in Further Detail

Antioxidant – Body needs oxygen for metabolism but natural byproduct is free radicals that attack tissue and dna. Resveratrol acts as an antioxidant, neutralizing or stopping free radicals from causing our bodies damage.

Heart – Increases NO (nitric oxide) production which relaxes your arteries and blood vessels causing a drop in blood pressure and better blood flow throughout your body. This increases nutrient absorption, sexual function and overall health. It also prevents against platelet aggregation that causes blood clots. Clots can be dislodged resulting in heart attack (aka MI or myocardial infarction)  or stroke (aka TIA or transient ischemic attack).

Anti-aging – Besides its antioxidant properties we discussed it also activates a group of proteins recently discovered, called the sirtuins, that have a profound effect on anti-aging. Resveratrol activates these anti-aging proteins.

Anti-diabetic – Resveratrol has been shown to decrease blood sugar levels after meals, increase insulin sensitivity and decrease common diabetic symptoms such as polyphagia (which is excessive hunger) and polydipsia (which is excessive thirst) and body weight loss (decrease in muscle, increase in gut).

Cancer – In lab studies involving mice, melanomas were prevented by topically treating the skin with resveratrol. Taking resveratrol by mouth did not afford the same protection. Perhaps the the stomach acid and digestive enzymes inactivates the anti-cancer ability of resveratrol or perhaps the concentration of resveratrol becomes to dilute. High concentrations directly to the affected area seem to be necessary. The same was shown with lung cancer. If taken orally resveratrol did not protect against cancer but if it was administered into the peritoneum or body cavity than it did afford this protection.

Skin – It protects the skin against harmful UVB exposure effects. It is starting to be used in beauty products. In a research study published in Experimental Dermatology the use of resveratrol and metformin protected against collagen degradation due to UV radiation.

Neuroprotective – Reduces beta-amyloid plaques or accumulations that result in Alzheimer’s disease.

Testosterone – Trans-resveratrol increases testosterone and has recently begun to be marketed in bodybuilding supplements.

Antiviral – Without any irritation or toxicity to the skin, resveratrol, when applied to the affected area, stops the virus from replicating. It has also been shown to enhance the effects of traditionally prescribed anti-HIV drugs. It has been shown to inhibit the growth of herpes, HIV, varicella-zoster, influenza and HCV (human cytomegalovirus).

Opioid reduction – When injected into the spinal column of opioid addicted lab animals the dependence on opioids such as heroin or morphine were alleviated.

Resveratrol Product Recommendation

After researching products on Amazon.com (I live on Amazon), I decided on a product I’ll be giving a shot (Resveratrol Extreme Juice Capsules). The name and bottle branding seem kind of hokey but the product itself fits all my criteria, is a good price and seemed to have the most significant/positive reviews (watch out for positive review loading, which sadly is happening A LOT more on Amazon).  I encourage you to do your own research and choose whatever brand and supplier you feel comfortable with. Ask around. I thought I’d recommend what I felt looked like a promising product : )

If you have any good suggestions please leave a comment with any help you can offer!

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9 Major Anti-Aging Breakthroughs for Health and Lifespan https://www.doctorscotthealth.com/body/9-major-anti-aging-breakthroughs-health-lifespan/ https://www.doctorscotthealth.com/body/9-major-anti-aging-breakthroughs-health-lifespan/#comments Sun, 17 Nov 2013 16:32:02 +0000 http://doctorscotthealth.com/?p=365 The post 9 Major Anti-Aging Breakthroughs for Health and Lifespan appeared first on Doctor Scott Health Blog.

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Google Vs. Death - Can Google Solve Death? A response to this article as to what Google Calico may be researching

In the TIME Magazine article Google Vs. Death we were informed that the search engine giant Google has created a division or underling company called Calico that is looking into the matter of longevity, anti-aging and the general pursuit of the proverbial “Fountain of Youth.”

One can’t help but think, “What would they be researching? What is the most current, cutting-edge science available in the the life extension arena? Are we even close?” This article addresses the 9 most promising areas of scientific research that are making serious leaps towards extending the human life span.

  1. Telomerase ( Subject of 2009 Nobel Prize )
  2. SIR2 and Sirtuin Proteins ( Enzymes that turn off aging genes )
  3. Melatonin ( Natural hormone acts as biological clock )
  4. Antioxidants ( Preventing DNA damage )
  5. Caloric Restriction ( 30% increase in life-span )
  6. Hormones ( human hormones affecting aging )
  7. Therapeutic Cloning and Stem Cells
  8. Herbal ( Isolating longevity compounds )
  9. Nanotechnology ( Advanced Medical Robots )

Telomerase

Nobel Prize Subject – The role of telomeres and telomerase in human aging was the subject of research that jointly awarded Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2009.

What are telomeres? Telomeres are the ends or tips of your chromosomes. Chromosomes are the structures that house your DNA. As a popular analogy, if your chromosomes were shoe laces, think of telomeres as the plastic coated tips at the ends. Now, what happens when those plastic tips eventually wear down to nothing? Your shoe laces begin to fray, then unravel and not too long after that you say sayonara! The same occurs with chromosomes and telomeres. As you age, it is the natural state of affairs for your telomeres ( the protective ends of your chromosomes / DNA ) to become shorter in length. As this occurs the incident of more genetic damage occurs and then manifests as increased aging.

What is telomerase? Telomerase is an enzyme that adds the protective sequence of DNA known as telomeres to the ends of your chromosomes. Going back to our shoelace analogy, you only get so many pairs of shoelaces and once they fray and disintegrate that’s the end of life for us. If we can manage to continually repair those tips then we can extend our lives.

The first supplement created with the use of this research is currently available and licensed by TA Sciences called TA-65 and can be found here. It is fairly expensive, however, it’s current price is in meager comparison to its original offering. The price may continue to be driven down as initial investment costs are recouped.

An excellent book regarding the matter: The Immortality Edge: Realize the Secrets of Your Telomeres for a Longer, Healthier Life by Michael Fossel, Greta Blackburn and Dave Woynarowski.

Here is a great TedMED talk delivered by Calvin Harley on telomerase and it’s anti-aging properties.

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Sirtuin Proteins

Turning Off Aging Genes – Dr. David Sinclair, PhD discovered through his work with yeast cells ( much to the chagrin of his opponents ) that there are a group of proteins, now labeled as sirtuins, that enzymatically turn off a group of genes that promote the process of aging.

Genes and Aging – Most people do not know that different genes are active in your body during different times in your life. There is somewhat of a sequence of genes that become activated as you age. Some of these help us mature and age in a positive context but some of them promote our biological decline resulting in the degenerating physical appearance and health effects of aging. We actually don’t want ALL of our genes turned on because many of the genes that become activated later in life are like these mentioned genes. They are programmed cues for aging and eventual death.

Pac-Man-Like Gene Deactivators – Using the analogy of David Sinclair, sirtuins are like little enzymatic chompers that come in and deactivate or turn off the aging genes that have inevitably been flipped on as mature adults.

Resveratrol and Sirtuin Activators – Resveratrol a compound that was isolated from red wine and received a lot of media attention is an activator of sirtuins and can therefore activate their anti-aging effects. Please take note that the amount of resveratrol in wine is insufficient to activate therapeutic levels of the anti-aging proteins. It would take 200 glasses of wine to achieve the levels of resveratrol needed to stimulate the anti-aging cascade. Don’t attempt to do so! However, hundreds of other sirtuin activating compounds have been discovered and the most potent 3 are currently undergoing clinical trials. They were sold to Glaxo-Smith-Klein and are intended to be marketed towards diabetic conditions. This is a narrow band of their potential clientele and far-reaching capabilities but pharmaceutical companies must choose from one of a few narrow categories. The FDA doesn’t really endorse the concept of clinical efficacy for anti-aging compounds. With that in mind… think of this as a great success and step forward in very promising research.

Sirtuin Analogues or Bioidentical Entities – Perhaps more research and science will be able to implement a process able to create and pharmacologically deliver sirtuin proteins, benefiting us with their ability to curtail biological aging.

Here is David Sinclair at TEDx Sydney in 2013 sharing his work on sirtuins and anti-aging.

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Melatonin

Preclinical studies have shown that melatonin supplementation increases lifespan by 20% in lab animals.

Isn’t That The Sleeping Hormone? Although melatonin is primarily known in the public sphere as a sleeping aid, it is much more than that and continuing research shows that to be increasingly true. Melatonin is a naturally occurring human hormone produced and secreted by the pineal gland. The pineal gland is a small ( size of a grain of rice ) pine cone shaped gland located in the middle of the brain that releases melatonin, serotonin and as theorized by the work of Dr. Rick Strassman, DMT ( The Spirit Molecule ). Melatonin is also secreted by the intestines and various other tissues throughout the body.

Biological Clock – Melatonin helps regulate our bodies in numerous ways, many of which we aren’t fully aware of yet. It regulates our circadian rhythm, also known as our daily 24-hour biorhythm or light-dark cycle. When we are in darkness the pineal gland produces melatonin.

Anti-Aging – Melatonin is actually being found to be a powerful anti-oxidant and it is not limited like other antioxidants in crossing the blood-brain barrier. Melatonin crosses the blood-brain barrier and provides the brain relief from oxidative stress, enhances mood, cognition and prevents cellular damage related to aging. It also aids the body’s immune system tremendously. There is an obscene laundry-list of clinically demonstrated benefits of melatonin including decreased LDL ( bad ) cholesterol levels, increased HDL ( good ) cholesterol levels, cancer adjuvant therapy, protectant against diabetic complications, fights obesity, delays alzheimers and prevents osteoporosis.

An article entitled Beyond Sleep: 7 Ways Melatonin Attacks Aging Factors discusses melatonin and anti-aging in more detail with references to clinical studies given.

Another interesting read discusses the pioneering research work and applied melatonin therapies of Dr. Roman Rozencwaig in How Melatonin Combats Aging: A Pioneering Doctor’s Ideas And Clinical Experience.

And here a research study found in the PubMed database Melatonin, Human Aging and Age-Related Diseases.

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Antioxidants

Free-radical scavengers – Antioxidants are compounds that are known to scavenge or bind to and neutralize harmful oxidative free-radicals that would otherwise wreak havoc on body tissues and DNA. Some of the most natural processes of aging comes from the oxidative damage endured by our bodies. If we can minimize this damage, especially that done to our DNA than we can retard or slow the effects of aging. This has caused quite the stir in the popular health community. Everyone gets their ears piqued when they hear things like blueberries have antioxidant properties. Looking at these compounds and understanding them better can help elucidate further age extending strategies.

Most Promising Antioxidants

  1. Alpha Lipoic Acid – Not only an antioxidant but an anti-inflammatory that regenerates glutathione ( another important natural antioxidant within your body ) but is also a crucial antioxidant preserving the integrity of DNA mitochondria ( body’s energy factories ), it increases insulin sensitivity, rejuvenates damaged skin and helps aids in fat loss.
  2. Coenzyme Q – Touted for its heart-fortifying properties, this antioxidant has also been researched to aid in heart disease, migraine headaches, cancer, blood presure, periodontal disease, Huntington’s disease, pediatric heart failure, lifespan, Parkinson’s and radiation injury.
  3. Carnosine – Shown in research studies involving fruit flies, bacterial cultures and mice to extend life spans up to 20%. Besides relieving oxidative stress, carnosine also chelates or binds to dangerous heavy metals allowing the body to dispose of them, decreases glycation ( which causes inflammation ), helps eliminate harmful DNA cross-linking proteins, protects chromosomal telomeres, preserves optimal mitochondrial function.
  4. Vitamin C – We all know this is a necessary vitmain and a deficiency can cause scurvy, making the body unable to produce collagen the elastic protein providing skin its strength and resiliency. We also know that high doses help boost our immune system and are found in cold combating products like Emergen-C.
  5. N-acetylcysteine – NAC treatment is actually first-line treatment in acetaminophen ( Tylenol ) overdose and so we immediately see the power of this antioxidant powerhouse. It is a powerful preventative supplement against influenza, COPD and helicobacter pylori. It also restores glutathione levels.
  6. Green Tea Extract – Studies have confirmed, in culture dishes and animals, benefits such as cancer protection and heart health as well as protection against brain cell loss, bacterial and viral infections, allergies, arthritis as well as decreased bone mineral density.

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Caloric Restriction

Caloric restriction can increase the sirtuin proteins that help turn off those aging genes. A scientist in the 1930’s conducted research on rats demonstrating that decreasing caloric intake to the extent that it was above malnourishment but did not allow for fertility, actually increased the lifespan of the rats by 40%. This has been the foundation for numerous subsequent studies showing the same results in multiple organisms and animals. While starving ourselves is not something many of us want to do to extend our lives, our technology and scientific understanding has progressed to the point where we can discover the mechanism behind this and then make appropriate biological applications to serve us.

Why does this work? We have just recently discovered that inducement of the SIR2 or sirtuin proteins that turn off aging genes are part of the equation. I am sure there are other significant pathways that are contributing the anti-aging effects of caloric restriction. We shall see what else develops down the pipeline.

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Hormones

Oxytocin, insulin, human chorionic gonadotraopin (hCG) and erythropoeietin (EPO) have been researched with mixed results demonstrating anti-aging properties.

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Organ Cloning and Stem Cells

Cloning? That’s right. Don’t think we’ll ever see the day? We already have. In 2006 we saw the first successful bladder transplant from a cloning procedure using the patients’ own cells.

Read more in this article Bioengineered bladders successful in patients.

Researching stem cells and learning ways to possibly repopulate our bodies with younger cells is a promising line of thought to the aging problem. There are ethical debates that surround this topic, especially in the attainment of stem cells from aborted fetuses and such. However, most do not oppose acquiring stem cells from more ethically sound sources such as the umbilical cord.

Organ Replacement – It is usually one or more of our organs failing that causes our health decline and eventual death. Being able to replace a dysfunctional organ at will would significantly add years to the human life span. Again, thoughts of organ harvesting and “biological meat markets” so to speak, have been grey areas and sometimes provoke disturbing thoughts of dystopian futures.  These thoughts and sentiments have found their way into prominent Hollywood movies and other popular media.

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Herbal

Mimicking and extracting from nature have been the most fruitful methods of modern science in discovering amazing breakthroughs in health therapies, treatments and supplements.

Rasayans – These are known in the ayurvedic or traditional indian medicine system as “longevity herbs” and serve as a promising body of natural sources to discover important compounds to aid human health… especially in the aging category. These include but are not limited to:

  • Bacopa monnieri
  • Ocimum sanctum
  • Curcuma longa
  • Centella asiatica

China’s Immortality Herb – There is a Chinese tea that claims to increase the health and ultimately, the longevity of those who drink it. The tea is made from the herbaceous plant Jiaogulan ( Gynostemma pentaphyllum ) which is actually a quite nice and decorative climbing vine.

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Nanotechnology

Advanced Medical NanoRobots – The subject of discussion for decades by the futurist Ray Kurzweil, which is also found in his recent book The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology, we have a long way to go before we understand the body enough to even utilize non-existent microscopic technology able to repair our body. Thoughts of an Outer Limits episode with disastrous consequences comes to mind. The concept, if perfected and free from concern, would be a revolutionary godsend, albeit one that, at this time, still seems too creepy to fully entertain.

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