Turning Back Time

Aging

“I am a healthy 45-year-old woman with excellent physical condition. After a recent bone density test, the doctor told me that I have bones of a 70-year-old woman! What are the implications of the finding and what is my true age then?"

Many people are surprised by such findings and diagnosis caused by the misunderstanding of aging itself in the 21st century. Over the past decade, scientific communities have adopted the concept of biological age rather than the chronological age as the true barometer of age and longevity.

Yes, age is no longer measured by the number of birthdays passed, but rather by how well your vital organs are functioning. You may have the look of a baby face, but what really matters is the biological age of your spine, heart, liver, kidneys, and etc.

The progression of aging follows the passage of time that leads to the weakening of the body and a loss of acuity of the senses coupled with rising susceptibility to various diseases and ailments. If an individual intents to delay or slow down aging, understanding the aging process and its causes is very important.

What is natural aging?

Human beings reach the peak of their growth and development in the mid twenties. After that we go through a programmed decline into old age marked by biological and psychological changes. A programmed decline is predetermined by our genetic timetable and biological clock.

Some scientists believe that our cells are programmed to divide only a set number of times. Based on the calculations, this theory has resulted in the belief that people may live to a maximum age of 120 years.

The speed and degree to which an individual will age is a complex and cumulative interplay of genetics, environment, and lifestyle.

What is premature aging?

The two major theories of aging are programmed cell death (an inevitable life process as mentioned above) and accumulated / accelerated cellular damage (self doing). Our bodies are made up of billions of cells. These cells grow and divide to replace the cells damaged by trauma and the processes of daily living.

Premature aging begins when cell destruction occurs more rapidly than cells rebuilding. Because our whole body is interrelated, a slowing down in one particular organ will affect the others and the whole body in general.

A clear example of the woman mentioned in the first paragraph, where it is actually a hormonal issue that has caused the loss of bone density. Hormonal issues will cause the body to release stress chemicals into the blood that raises the blood pressure and increases the heart output. Over time this slight hypertension will wear down the heart tissues and create other problems. Because of the domino effect, it is all so clear that we are only as young as our oldest organ!

Premature aging does not just only alter our physical appearance but more often it is unseen. The heart and immune system become less efficient and degenerative diseases become far more common in younger people.

What causes premature aging?

In this fast-paced world, stress and tensions take a toll on the body. Coupled with a faulty diet of processed and devitalised foods, our body just does not have sufficient nutrients to repair and rebuild faster than destruction itself.

Emotional stress, fried / processed foods, poor digestion, chronic infections, and industrial pollution all sums up to oxidative damage in our cells that causes premature aging.

The symptoms include an accumulation of abdominal fat. muscle wasting, a thickening of the skin with deep wrinkles present, poor sleep, cognitive problems like increased short term memory loss, mood changes, weakened bones, decreased sexual drive, and impaired heart and kidney function. We begin to have less energy and vigour, growing tired more easily. In some cases, brown spots on the skin sometimes called "liver spots" begin to appear.

While oxygen is essential to life, oxidative damage is harmful. The chemical structure of oxygen easily pulls electrons off other chemical structures, altering and possibly weakening them in a process known as oxidation (free radical damage).

When oxidization is uncontrolled, it creates free radicals and damages our genetic code, interferes with energy production, promotes disease, and accelerates aging.

We face oxidation everyday and it is how we deal with these free radicals that will directly affect the quality and length of our lives.

Outside-In? Or Inside-Out?

The health, wellness, and beauty industries today are growing at a faster rate than ever before. We are becoming more and more aware of the effects an unhealthy lifestyle could have on our health, and even more so on our looks.

Even men are getting into it! Statistics have revealed that men in the USA alone spend over USD4 billion a year on grooming products. Imagine how much the women are spending!

Beauty products flood the market, promising eternal youth and miraculous regenerating capabilities. But are we approaching beauty with the right perspective? The common visible signs of aging, such as wrinkles, sagging skin, accelerated bone loss, pigmentation spots or discolouration, loss of muscle and skin tone, and in some cases fatigue, are all just external indicators of a slowing down of internal body symptoms.

We work so hard and spend hard-earned money trying to stay young on the outside, forgetting that true beauty has to come from the inside. There is nothing more attractive than a brilliant smile on a face with a healthy glow!

Speed up or slow down, the choice is yours!

As all oxidation releases free radicals, it is important that we consume significant quantities of antioxidants – nutrients that help defend against free radical damage.

Many vitamins, minerals, herbs and teas may have antioxidant properties but taking antioxidants in combination rather than exclusively have shown to be much more effective.

While we laud the need to change our diet, daily supplementation is the only sure way to know that we are getting sufficient antioxidants to combat free radical damage. With the onslaught of ever increasing oxidative stress daily, it is very unlikely that we could satisfy our need for antioxidants through diet alone.

The Antioxidant Miracle

“Antioxidants are free radical police ofthe body, on call whenevr necessary to ‘quench’ free radicals wherever they may be, so that they cannot spread their destruction to other cells" by Dr. Packer.

1220’s: Gilbertus de Aguilla advised sailors to bring ample apples, pears, and lemons to avoid getting scurvy.

1500’s: World explorers Vasco de Gama and Magellan reported losing over half their crew to scurvy.

1753: British physician James Lind published his results of testing several supposed cures. He found that sailors with scurvy who ate two oranges and one lemon per day were cured in a few days.

1795: British Admiralty began to require sailors to eat lemons and limes and scurvy ceased to be a problem.

Why did it take 500 years for sailors to take the advice seriously to eat citrus fruit? And why 42 years after it was first published by a physician? Probably because it is hard to believe that such a simple thing as eating an orange can prevent such a horrible disease!

If you have read the works of Dr. Lester Packer, the world’s foremost antioxidant research scientist and leading authority on antioxidants, you won’t want to live without antioxidants. While there are hundreds of antioxidants out there, and we can easily be confused, Dr. Packer has listed down 5 that seem to be the most important and operate as a network. A network is a strong bond that helps balance, recycle and bring out the best in everyone.

The network

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is not produced by the body and must be obtained through food or supplements. It is a potent free radical quencher, and it is essential for a strong immune system. Other benefits include:

• Prevents cancer by shielding DNA from free radical damage
• Regenerates vitamin E and interacts with flavonoid antioxidants in the network
• Great for skin as it is essential for the production of collagen
• Protects against cataracts, a leading cause of vision problems among older people

Vitamin E

It is the body’s primary fat-soluble antioxidant, and must be obtained from food or supplements.

Vitamin E travels through the body in molecules called lipoproteins and protects them from oxidation.

The oxidation of lipoproteins is believed to be the first step in the formation of atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries, which lead to heart diseases.

Vitamin E also reverses the age-related “slump” in immune function and keeps your brain cells from aging.

Other benefits include:

• Keeps your skin youthful by protecting against damage from UV radiation and ozone
• Relieves symptoms of arthritis and other inflammatory diseases
• Reduces the risk of prostate cancer in men

Coenzyme Q10

CoQ10 is a fat-soluble molecule that works synergistically with Vitamin E in the antioxidant cycle to protect the fatty part of the cell from free radical attack. Other benefits include:

• For more than 2 decades, it has been used successfully to treat and prevent heart disease in Japan
• Rejuvenates brain cells and may help to prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
• Essential “food” for the heart as it aids in energy production that keeps the heart muscle working

Glutathione

The most abundant antioxidant in the network is glutathione, which is produced by the body. It is found in virtually every cell of the body. However, when we reach the age of 40, its production starts to decline. At any age, low levels of glutathione have been linked to premature death and disease. Other benefits include:

1. Recycles the oxidized form of vitamin C, restoring its antioxidant power
2. Instrumental in the detoxification and elimination of drugs and pollutants and for healthy liver function
3. Without glutathione, the liver cannot function properly, which results in a build-up of toxins that can cause liver poisoning

Lipoic Acid

Although lipoic acid was not considered a major antioxidant, it has been gaining popularity recently. It offers powerful protection against 3 common ailments of aging – stroke, heart diseases, and cataracts.Other benefits include:

• Strengthens memory and prevents brain aging
• Has been used safely and effectively in Europe for more than 2 decades to prevent and relieve the complications of diabetes
• Effective in increasing levels of vitamin E, vitamin C, glutathione, and CoQ10 in the body

Antioxidants protect us from free radical damage.

Taken together, they provide a network of dynamic interplay that protects us. They rejuvenate our heart, strengthen our immune system, maximize our brainpower, and slow or even possibly reverse the aging process.

By controlling free radicals, antioxidants can make a difference between life and death, as well as influence how quickly or how well we age.

Aging is more than gray hair, wrinkles or lines. It’s not just skin deep. Age beautifully from the inside out!