Forever Young; A Vote for Anti-Aging by Dr. Millie Lytle, ND
By: Dr Millie Lytle, ND
Wrinkles, grey hair, lack of energy, mental acuity and sex drive have long been thought to be normal signs of aging. No one will argue that the phenomenon of living into the golden years brings risks, but what if the concept of aging is actually a myth? What if the consequences of living longer are not necessary and can be prevented?
Aging is not just a number. This is because aging is what happens when your cells are damaged, both inside the body and on the skin. Damage from reactive oxygen species can also lead to chronic inflammation leading to heart disease, digestive disturbances, autoimmune conditions and even cancer. These reactive oxygen species, known also as “free radicals” do come on with age but are drastically increased with smoking, high stress, too much or too little exercise, a bad diet, air and water pollution, radiation exposure via accidents, medical diagnostics like mammograms and MRIs and even cancer treatments, themselves. This connection between lifestyle factors, nutrition, genes and why the most common chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, heart disease age you even faster, reducing energy, libido and shorten life span.
More than just aging gracefully anti-aging a relatively new scientific field of epigenetics holds a lot of promise. Epigenetics looks at the nutritional environment for genetic factors that control genetic expression of aging and disease. This means that your genes can turn on aging, and turn it off as well. This field points towards an exciting reality for you if you’re looking to be young when your peers are already past expiry date. Therapeutic calorie restriction and epigenetic diet have been proposed as two important mechanisms that potentially slow and alter the progression of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and osteoporosis to name a few. Turning off genetic susceptibility is becoming a key highlight of anti-aging phenomenon. Positive thinking, a healthy lifestyle and super-nutrients listed below have also been proven to alter gene expression in the prevention and treatment of age-related conditions.
Nutrients for Healthy Aging
The discovery of super-fruits from all over the globe and their proven benefits coupled with public demand for natural treatments has brought attention to the possibilities of anti-aging. Super nutrients called antioxidants are the antidote to free radicals improving the health of your skin, organs, energy and promote a youthful appearance. While the FDA acknowledges some nutrients, like Vitamin C and Vitamin E as having antioxidant potential and some cancer protection, many clinical trials show that adding super foods and supplements to your diet can increase carotenoid tissue levels, reverse signs and symptoms of aging and even reduce chronic disease.
If you’re trying to slow the process of aging, consider including these super foods, drinks, supplements into your diet on a regular basis:
- Super fruits: goji, noni, acai, gac, coffeeberry, blueberry, grapes, black raspberries, mangosteen
- Super drinks: red wine, green tea, cocoa
- Super supplements: hyaluronic acid, collagen, algae and fish oils, plankton, ceramides, vitamin A, C, E and carotenoids, folic acid, biotin, ubiquinol, resveratrol, pterostilbene and l-carnosine, turmeric/curcumin, boswellia, bromelain
The question of remaining forever young is an age old dream but a potentially new possibility that stems from recent research in the nutrition, supplements and cosmetics industry promising baby-tight skin, energy and stamina as well. So as nutritional science develops, research is proving that free radicals are a cause of aging and age-related illnesses. But is the concept of anti-aging an imaginary El Dorado or could it be an achievable key to disease-free, life extension increasing healthy life span for all human kind? Time will reveal the truth as you, and all of us, age.
