Nutrient Supplementation to reduce and reverse the aging process.
As a physician who deals with nutrition on a daily basis, I am bombarded with questions about nutrition and the science behind it. There has been a lot of research done in the field of life extension and nutrition. This article will help you better understand the aging process and what you can do to slow its progression.
DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid, is what we call our genetic material. It holds the map to who we are, what we look like, and has been passed down from generation to generation. What you may not realize is that there is a certain part of our DNA called a Telomere which is at the very end of each DNA strand. These telomeres shorten every time our DNA replicates itself. As the DNA gets smaller and smaller, we lack the resources to maintain life at which point the aging process progresses. When there is too little DNA to support life, we cease to exist. There is, however, a growing body of research that has shown to increase telomere length slowing down the shrinking progression of out DNA greatly affecting how long we can live.
This article focuses on certain supplements that will help lengthen your telomeres as well as control the inflammation in your body. The less healthy we are, the more inflamed our bodies are. All chronic disease is the result of chronic inflammation. So, the more inflammation we have, the harder our body has to work to repair itself which results in a greater turnover of DNA replication. By controlling your telomere length and the overall state of inflammation in our bodies, we can have a longer healthier life.
There are 9 basic vitamins, minerals and supplements that have promising research on telomere length. The first is Vitamin D. Vitamin D is not really a vitamin, but rather a steroid hormone. Vitamin D has strong anti-oxidative properties. Vitamin D acts as an inhibitor of your body’s inflammatory response, and by reducing inflammation, you diminish your turnover of immune cells creating which can help protect you against a variety of diseases. In essence, it protects your body from the deterioration of aging.
Ubiquione (CoQ 10) is a very popular supplement that has proven research behind it. CoQ10 is used in every cell in your body, hence the name Ubiquione because it is ubiquitous in our bodies. CoQ10 plays a key role in the energy production system in your cells. Premature aging is one of the side effects of having too little CoQ10 as well as accelerating DNA damage. CoQ10 is also vital to heart health and muscle function.
Probiotics should be taken by everyone periodically in my personal opinion. Because of the lifestyle we live, we are constantly subjected to stress, poor eating habits, and overall inflammation. Since most of your hormones, and all of your nutrition, are absorbed in your digestive system, it is of the utmost important that you maintain a healthy and normal flora in your intestines. Having a healthy flora can improve digestion, absorption and overall immune function which is vital to a healthy lifestyle
Omega 3 Fatty Acids are probably one of the most important supplements you can take daily. Omega 3 Fatty Acids can come in many forms such as fish oil, molecularly distilled oils, flax seed oil, Krill oil and Quell oil. All of these fatty acids have similar bonding structures, which allow the body to utilize this supplement to help fight inflammation and improve overall health. One particular type of Omega 3 is Krill Oil. Krill oil has been found to have a higher absorption rate in the body and also contains naturally-occurring astaxanthin, which makes it nearly 200 times more resistant to oxidative damage compared to fish oil. Regardless of the type of Omega 3 Fatty Acids you consume, all of them are vital to overall health and cellular function.
Vitamin K has had significant breakthroughs in research studies and human physiology and continues to show a growing number of benefits to your health. While most people get enough vitamin K from their diets to maintain adequate blood clotting, they’re NOT enough to offer protection against more serious health problems. Some of the research that is being performed has found that supplementation of Vitamin K has decreased the effects of aging, increased cardiovascular health and decreased the incidence of prostate cancer.
Magnesium is one of the most under-rated minerals an individual can consume. Magnesium works on many different levels and systems in the body and should be a staple in everyone’s supplemental program. Magnesium basically helps the body heal. Whether you are an avid exercise enthusiast or a post menstrual woman, magnesium has oxidative and regenerative properties that help your body recover and heal at a faster rate. Magnesium is commonly taken with Calcium not only to prevent osteoporosis but also to help calcium maintain its metabolic functions to maximize the benefits of both minerals. Research has also proven that magnesium has a direct correlation to telomere length by playing an important role in DNA replication, repair, and RNA synthesis.
B vitamins are responsible for an array of metabolic and cellular functions that the body performs. Folate (B 9) has been shown in clinical studies to play a role in the maintenance of DNA integrity and telomere length in men and women. B 9 is also useful in the prevention of depression, seizure disorders, and brain atrophy. B 9 also affects Homocysteine levels which is a key contributor in Alzheimers and Cardiac patients. B 12 is its counterpart because your body has to maintain a certain balance between the two in order to prevent cellular anemia. B 12 is known as the “energy Vitamin” because it is also involved in your body’s energy production system. It is estimated that 25 percent of the American population is deficient in vitamin B12 but nearly half of the population has suboptimal blood levels.
Since B Vitamins play such an important role in your body, I am a firm believer in taking B complex supplements as compared to individual B Vitamins. B complex vitamins are needed in the breakdown of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. They are also needed for overall nervous system health. B complex can improve tendon strength and also help your body’s immune function.
Astaxanthin has gained popularity as one of the most potent antioxidants in recent research history. Astaxanthin has been shown to not only have anti-inflammatory properties but also acts as a protective mechanism for our DNA. Astaxanthin has been found to be significantly stronger than Vitamin C and Vitamin E in their oxidative powers. It has special properties that allows the passage across the blood brain barrio as well as the blood retinal layer. Astaxanthin can protect your DNA, eyes, brain and central nervous system.
There has been repetitive use of the terms inflammation and ant-oxidative properties. The most common misconception that many of us have is undervaluing the amount of inflammation we have in our bodies on a daily basis. We, as humans, need certain amounts of stress to maintain normal function. Our bodies are producing free radicals as you are reading this article. It is not the presence of these compounds that is dangerous but rather the accumulating amounts and our body’s ability to control them that is of vital importance.
We need to eat healthy, exercise and get the proper amounts of rest and supplementation in order to fuel our bodies to control its normal function as well as its inflammation. When inflammation levels are elevated for an extended period of time, our bodies break down from our skin to our muscles to our organs to our cells to our DNA. Because many of us don’t have, or make, the time to live a healthier lifestyle, inflammation becomes a chronic state in our bodies. Chronic inflammation is the number one, most important, key contributor to chronic disease. If we control the inflammation in our bodies, we control our overall health which directly results in a healthier, longer, more productive life.
· ixNimptsch K, Rohrmann S and Linseisen J. “Dietary intake of vitamin K and risk of prostate cancer in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Heidelberg)” Am J Clinical Nutrition April 2008;87(4):985-992