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Posts Tagged ‘Dr. David Sinclair’

Many have looked for the Fountain of Youth. Research scientists and pharmaceutical companies are spending billions to unlock the secret of why we age. Although chronological aging is inevitable, unlocking the secrets to “biological” aging is perhaps the ultimate scientific quest. The way cells age, how aging impacts their function, reproduction, and death may help us to better understand the causes and perhaps the solutions for key age-related diseases and conditions.

There are things that you can do to look and feel younger than your biological age. You can avoid the complications of aging such as diabetes, high cholesterol, triglycerides, cancer prevention, neurological issues such as Parkinson’s etc. Not only are there some life style changes that you can make but also proven products that can actually increase the parts of your cells that fuel energy in the body called Mitochondria.

Why do some people age faster or slower and in different ways than others? Is there a maximum human lifespan beyond which we cannot live no matter how optimal our lifestyle or other interventions may be? And finally for all of us, the most important question: How can insights into longevity be used to potentially prevent the diseases and disabilities associated with old age, improving the odds that aging will be healthy, active, and independent.

Many of the diseases that afflict Americans today are diseases associated with aging, and become more severe as we reach our later years. 88% of those over 65 years of age have at least one chronic health condition. Health damaging behaviors, including tobacco use, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor eating habits are major contributors to the nation’s leading chronic diseases including arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.

Theories and Mechanisms of Aging:

Theories abound regarding the biological causes of human aging. They primarily fall into two groups.

* The programmed lifespan theories hold that aging follows a biological timetable.

* The wear and tear theories emphasize environmental assaults to our systems that gradually cause things to go wrong. Cells, proteins, tissues, and organ systems all are involved, and the NIA explains that gerontologists are now able to discern more and more of the mechanisms by which these systems cause or react to aging

* How aging starts at the cellular level with Damaged DNA:

DNA Damage and Repair Up to a million DNA damaging assaults occur daily and can be caused by oxidative damage, simple genetic “typos” or mistakes in DNA replication, or even by environmental factors such as radiation or exposure to toxins. These mutations can accumulate, eventually causing cells to malfunction and ultimately die. This process has been suggested as a crucial contributor to the aging process.Our bodies have repair mechanisms to take care of DNA damage. However, defects in DNA repair seem to be directly related to aging. This critical balance between DNA damage and both protecting the DNA as well as repairing the DNA is an ongoing area of active research into aging.

Genetic Regulators of Aging

Another process that leads to aging and disease is the activation of transcription factors or genetic regulators which interpret the genetic code and control its functional application. Genetic regulators impact a multitude of metabolic processes and events that can lead to cellular dysfunction and aging.They also control the dynamic balance between damage and repair, between energy production and decline, and even cell lifespan.

As years go by, the activity of genetic regulators promoting cell renewal and energy production declines while genetic regulators promoting cell death become more prominent. As natural defenses and self repair functions decline, cumulative cell damage increases and this cumulative damage contributes to age-related cellular deterioration and diseases of aging, including cancer.

Mitochondrial Aging and Oxidative Damage

Mitochondria are the “intra-cellular power plants” that transform carbohydrates, lipids, and protein into energy but also create toxic oxygen free radicals in the process. They can cause serious damage to mitochondrial membranes and DNA. This oxidative damage can accumulate over time and may contribute to the development of many age-related diseases including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Since oxidative damage is associated with so many of the problems associated with aging-lower efficiency of cellular systems, deterioration of tissues, and increased susceptibility to age-related diseases-oxidative damage and its impact on intra-cellular function is a key focus of anti-aging research.

Low Calorie Restriction has been proven to slow the aging process. However, most of us are not willing to cut our calories by 30 %. Dr. David Sinclair from Harvard discovered that a nutrient called Resveratrol was a key in anti-aging.

Resveratrol (a substance found red grapes and other plants) extended the life span of certain cells by as much as 70%. Resveratrol has continued to demonstrate extraordinary potential in prolonging life. In numerous studies-resveratrol has demonstrated effects that mimic those of caloric restriction, the best-documented anti-aging strategy to date. In all animals in which it has been tested, caloric restriction-the practice of restricting calorie intake while maintaining good nutritional status-improves multiple aspects of age-related decline. Caloric restriction does this, in part, by producing changes in gene expression that are associated with long life and a slowing of the aging process.

Resveratrol is also gaining growing recognition for its promise in fighting age-related diseases ranging from dementia to diabetes. For example, the National Institutes of Health is currently sponsoring a clinical trial investigating resveratrol’s ability to fight cancer.

All Resveratrol Products are Not the Same

There are many resveratrol products to choose from.It can be confusing when trying to find an effective product. Dr. Sinclair’s study were a shock to many scientists in the resveratrol community. He showed convincingly that the amounts of resveratrol one needs to have a substantial beneficial effect were orders of magnitude greater than anyone expected. Clearly, one or two glasses of red wine per day won’t do the trick. Similarly, many of the older resveratrol products on the market just aren’t potent enough to to be of any significant benefit.

For those resveratrol products that are potent enough, many aren’t pure enough. There is a naturally occurring contaminant in impure resveratrol preparations that has a laxative effect. Unless the resveratrol preparation is 99% pure or better, many people will find that the side effects outweigh beneficial effects.

But the most important reason is that resveratrol cannot do it all. It is just one of many naturally occurring polyphenols, which is why Shaklee added a polyphenol blend from muscadine grapes to their purified resveratrol.

For example, Shaklee’s product called Vivix, contains a polyphenol blend that high in ellagic acid, which is not found in significant amounts in red wine or most resveratrol preparations.Ellagic acid inhibits an enzyme that is involved in the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE proteins), one of the central four mechanisms of cellular aging. Resveratrol has no effect on this enzyme, but does block the other three key mechanisms of cellular aging.

Similarly, animal studies suggest that ellagic acid shines in preventing gastrointestinal cancers, while resveratrol and other components of the polyphenol blend that Shaklee uses prevent a variety of other tumors.

The bottom line is that by adding a polyphenol blend containing ellagic acid and other protective polyphenols from the muscadine grape to their ultrapure, ultrapotent resveratrol, Shaklee has developed a product that is clearly superior to either resveratrol or a muscadine polyphenol blend alone.This is not a “one plus one” addition, but a synergistic combination of protective polyphenols that is far more protective than any one of them alone.

For more information on Mixed Polyphenal Blends go to www.TryVivixNow.com