How Are Antioxidants Linked to Anti-Aging?
Carina MacInnes
Antioxidants have been widely praised in the media. Many know they are linked with anti-aging properties. However this is not new, it all began with one man's theory a half a century ago about how free radicals were associated with aging, and science has been trying to catch up with it ever since.
As Dr. Nicholas Perricone, M.D., states in his 2001 book, "The Wrinkle Cure": "When it comes to aging, it's not Father Time that's public enemy number 1. It's the very busy, very nasty little molecule called the free radical."
The Free Radical Theory of Aging was published by Denman Harman in 1956. He theorized that aging is a result of free radical damage of the cells of the body. This is also called oxidative stress.
Today, a great deal of experimental evidence supports the premise that length of life is determined by the crucial balance of antioxidants with free radicals in the body. Oxidative stress is being shown to be at the root of disease and aging.
One example is that the life of the fruit fly was up to 30% longer when it was genetically altered with an addition of enzymatic antioxidants. Not only that, but the altered fruit flies also showed a reduced amount of age-related oxidative damage.
Studies of humans have also shown evidence of free radical damage playing a large part in human aging. One 1996 study compared markers of free radical damage in the blood and found evidence of the highest oxidative damage associated with the disabled elderly, an intermediate amount with the healthy elderly, and the lowest levels with the healthy adults.
The study also found that higher blood levels of antioxidant Vitamins C and E were associated with less disability, and signs of free radical damage were associated with more disability.
We need to rethink our concept of aging. We accept disease, disability, senility, wrinkles, and all the other many signs of aging as natural. Instead, we should view this as 'unsuccessful aging' - ie., aging associated with deterioration, disease and disability.
Successful aging is what happens when the human body is able to fight off oxidative stress, and continue to regenerate and repair itself. Successful aging is getting older healthily, without significant pathological conditions.
What the evidence is telling us is that it is crucial we take antioxidants and free radicals very seriously if we want to 'age gracefully' and avoid the many pitfalls of 'unsuccessful aging'.
Even young people can be victims of unsuccessful aging, if they are not providing their bodies with the necessary balance of having have enough dietary antioxidants to fight off the free radicals.
In our modern culture, many of us are guilty of not getting adequate nutrition. It's ironic, when we are the richest we have ever been that we should be feeding our bodies so poorly.
An interesting example of how a person can seriously damage their body with the wrong diet was seen in the Documentary 'Super Size Me' by Morgan Spurlock who ate only McDonald's for a month. In just 30 days of having a junk food diet as his sole source of nutrition, his health was spiraling downwards and out of control.
The fact that he gained 25 pounds in a month was the least of his worries. He experienced a toxic liver, a significant increase in cholesterol, headaches, depression, a lower sex drive and poor skin. He returned to normal after his experiment ended.
Unfortunately a great many of us continue to do damage to our bodies, by smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee, eating junk food, and not eating our vegetables. When the media began warning us of free radicals, many of us did not understand the massive damage we were causing our bodies or how to prevent it, especially as most of the signs of damage are invisible until it is too late.
Free radical damage is accumulative and spreads like wildfire over time. Do your body a favor. Feed it a diet rich in antioxidant nutrition. Make it a habit, eat your fruits and vegetables, take your vitamins, and try to stop or cut down on damaging bad habits. You will thank yourself in 20 years.
Use antioxidants wisely to age successfully. Maybe like the fruit fly, you too can live 30% longer.
About the author:
Carina MacInnes is a writer who offers a free e-course on how
free radicals affect our health, using antioxidants for healing
and anti-aging, and the latest in superfood nutrition. For her
health she uses a simple and extremely powerful
antioxidant-packed liquid nutrient made from exotic superfoods.
Get all the info now: http://acai-4life.com
The latest information and news on Anti-Aging Advice :
[CaRP] Can't open cache file.
[CaRP] Unable to create/open RSS cache file.
Anti-aging effects studied in yeast (UPI)
LOS ANGELES, May 12 (UPI) -- University of Southern California scientists say they have discovered glucose to glycerol conversion in long-lived yeast provides anti-aging effects.
Anti-aging effects studied in yeast (redOrbit)
University of Southern California scientists say they have discovered glucose to glycerol conversion in long-lived yeast provides anti-aging effects. Researchers said they discovered yeast cells maintained on a glycerol diet live twice as long as normal -- as long as yeast cells on a severe caloric-restriction diet -- and are more resistant to cell damage. The scientists said their study is the ...
Anti-Aging Skin Care Innovations for Men: A Guy's guide to Youthful Skincare ...
For most men, a skincare routine includes rinsing and shaving. However, many men also want younger-looking skin. Find out the newest ways that men are turning to in order to achieve younger-looking skin.
Winona Ryder's Anti-Aging Secret: Big Gulps of Water (People Magazine)
"It sounds boring, but the girl eats a lot of salads," her make-up artist tells PEOPLE
Winona Ryder?s Anti-Aging Secret: Big Gulps of Water (People Magazine)
Steve Granitz/WireImage Those of us who grew up on her classic films like Heathers and Reality Bites and see her now keep asking each other the same question: why is it that we keep getting older while Winona Ryder keeps staying the same age? ?She hasn?t aged and let me tell you, she [...]
Arjuna Ardagh: Wellness Retreat with John Gray (The Huffington Post)
John Gray is the author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, but his expertise as a health and anti-aging educator is little known.
Announcing Miracle Hydrate: Synthetic Snake Venom Conquers Wrinkles without B...
On the heels of the recent FDA warning label for Botox, Miracle Hydrate has launched an Anti-Aging Collection that includes the propietary Innovenom(TM), a remakable age-freezing peptide that mimics snake venom. This viper-synthetic virtually freezes fine lines and wrinkles by inhibiting muscle contractions and freezing age-related activity in the skin.
Glucose-To-Glycerol Conversion In Long-lived Yeast Provides Anti-aging Effect...
Cell biologists have found a more filling substitute for caloric restriction in extending the life span of simple organisms. Researchers show that yeast cells maintained on a glycerol diet live twice as long as normal -- as long as yeast cells on a severe caloric-restriction diet. They are also more resistant to cell damage.
Announcing Miracle Hydrate: Synthetic Snake Venom Conquers Wrinkles without B...
On the heals of the recent FDA warning label for Botox, Miracle Hydrate has launched an Anti-Aging Collection that includes the propietary Innovenom(TM), a remakable age-freezing peptide that mimics snake venom. This viper-synthetic virtually freezes fine lines and wrinkles by inhibiting muscle contractions and freezing age-related activity in the skin.
Wrinkle Free Friday: OTC anti-aging product delivers prescription results (WW...
NEW ORLEANS - Quick, easy, inexpensive, with no downtime, that's the way some people are describing one anti-aging product. And it's a product that dermatologists say works.