Longevity
supplement research anti-aging natural
secrets
A newreport issued by the National Center for Health Statistics indicates
improved longevity in the US.
American adults are living longer, fewer babies are dying in infancy, and the gap between
white and black life expectancy has narrowed during the past decade. In 2000, average life
expectancy at birth hit record highs, with men at 74.1 years and women at 79.5 years. A
century earlier, life expectancy was 48 years for men and 51 years for women. Those who
reach age 65 now live to an average age of 81 for men and 84 for women. It is
unclear whether this trend in longevity will continue.
2001--For men, life expectancy rose from 74.3 in 2000 to 74.4 years in 2001. Women's life
expectancy rose from 79.7 to 79.8 years. White women have the highest life expectancy,
80.2 years, followed by black women (75.5 years), white men (75 years) and black men (68.6
years).
Longevity
supplements
The field of longevity and anti-aging is full of promises and
unsubstantiated claims. As of now, there is no definitive research in humans of any
substances or techniques that have been proven to extend longevity. However, there are a
number of steps we can take to potentially live longer. These include:
Longevity enhancers
1. Have a positive attitude and improve your coping skills to daily stresses.
Embrace the philosophy that "It's not what happens to me, it's what I make of
it."
In a sample of people aged 50 and
older who were followed for an average of 23 years, respondents who reported having a
positive attitude toward aging lived an average of more than 7 years longer than those who
had a more dismal view of getting older. Do you want to be happier? Take a look
at a book on Happiness.
2. Keep a healthy weight and reduce the
number of calories consumed. Caloric restriction prolongs life in animals.
Cutting calories may do more than help people shed excess weight, research suggests.
According to a new report, a low-calorie diet may also slow age-related changes in the
heart's genes that can lead to chronic disease. In the study, "middle-aged"
14-month-old mice were fed either a normal diet or one restricted in calories. When the
mice reached 30 months of age, or the equivalent of 90 years of a human life span, the
researchers analyzed their heart tissue. The hearts of mice on the low-calorie diets
showed nearly 20% fewer age-related genetic changes and also appeared to have less DNA
damage than those of mice on regular diets. Restricting calories also inhibited
potentially disease-causing changes in the immune system, and suppressed apoptosis, or
programmed cell death.
A telephone poll conducted
by ABC News found that 73% of respondents would not restrict their caloric intake in order
to live longer.
Mouse
study: eating
less at any age prolongs life.
Eating a Mediterranean diet as opposed to a typical American diet,
increases
longevity.
3. Reduce consumption of foods cooked at high temperature. Consumption of red
and processed meat modestly increases the death rate from cancer and
cardiovascular disease.
Foods cooked at high heat
linked to inflammation
People may be able to lower their risk of heart, diabetes, and possibly other
diseases by consuming cool foods, or dishes cooked at relatively low temperatures, such as
salads and tuna fish, preliminary research suggests.
Foods cooked at high temperatures spurred the
production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), compounds in the blood
that stimulate cells to produce inflammation. While AGEs are normally produced in the body at a
slow rate, they can be toxic and form more quickly when food is heated to high
temperatures. Inflammation is associated with heart disease among all people, but people
with diabetes are thought to be particularly vulnerable. People who consumed foods cooked at lower
temperatures had lower levels of both AGEs and inflammatory proteins than people who
consumed the same foods cooked at higher temperatures. After 6 weeks, levels of tumor
necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and concentrations of the inflammatory protein
C-reactive protein (CRP) had also risen among those consuming the diet high in AGEs and
declined among those in the reduced AGE group. TNF-alpha and CRP are both markers showing
increased inflammation.
4. Regular exercise and keep physically active.
Regular stretching or yoga is
helpful in keeping joints and ligaments supple. Older adults who are able to
boost their walking speed over time live longer lives. Testing older patients'
walking speed could be one simple way to predict long-term health and survival.
A study of 439 adults age 65 and older, found that those who improved their
walking speed over one year were less likely to die over the next eight years.
Older adults who are able to boost their walking speed
over time live longer lives. Testing older patients' walking speed could be one
simple way to predict long-term health and survival. A study of 439 adults age
65 and older, found that those who improved their walking speed over one year
were less likely to die over the next eight years.
Fitness appears to be a more important determinant of longevity than belly size
or overall fat. In a group of men and women who 60 years of age or older, those
who were very obese but fit were no more likely to die over the study's 12-year
follow-up period than normal weight or thin people were. But being at normal
weight didn't reduce a person's mortality risk unless he or she was fit. Journal
of the American Medical Association, December 5, 2007.
People 50 to 71 years old who got at least 30 minutes of moderate physical
activity at least five days a week -- as recommended in U.S. national guidelines
-- were 27 percent less likely to die over the next six or seven years. Archives
of Internal Medicine, Dec. 10/24, 2007.
5. Avoid smoking cigarettes.
Smokers die ten years younger on average than non-smokers
As if smokers need another reason to
kick the habit, California scientists have discovered that nornicotine, a byproduct of
nicotine, the substance that makes cigarettes so addictive, causes a type of chemical
reaction in the body similar to that which occurs when sugar is scorched or food goes bad.
This reaction is thought to play a role in diabetes, cancer and other diseases. The
interaction between sugars and proteins can produce substances called advanced glycation
endproducts, or AGEs. The accumulation of AGEs appears to contribute to the aging process
and certain diseases.
6. Have strong connections to others, whether through family and relatives, marriage,
children, pets, or connecting with nature, planet earth, and the universe.
7. Get a deep sleep
8. Keep your mind young and active by learning.
9. Try to surround yourself with nature. Green trees in the neighborhood, sunshine in
home, are linked to longevity.
10. Avoid injuries to live longer - Certain sports dramatically increase the risk for musculoskeletal damage, thus reducing longevity. Cheerleading is behind a greater share of severe injuries in student-athletes.
Unfortunately, one of the most important influences on longevity is genetics, something we
cannot influence with our present scientific knowledge. People who have parents and
grandparents who live long are more likely to also live a long life.
Additional potential longevity enhancers:
Being financially stable
Having a satisfying career
Healing old and new emotional wounds
Having a personal religious or philosophical belief system that gives meaning to this
world.
Driving safely, wearing seat belts, minimizing the use of cell phones while driving.
See this link to reduce
wrinkles.
Supplements for Longevity
There is currently no evidence that taking supplements or hormones (such as growth
hormone) will make us live longer. However, it seems reasonably safe to take small amounts
of certain supplements that have shown preliminary research to be helpful.
Antioxidants may or
not help if taken as supplements
Acetyl-l-carnitine
and the popular Lipoic Acid are interesting nutrients that may be beneficial, more
research is needed before making recommendations.
Carnosine
appears to be able to extend the lifespan of cultured cells, and rejuvenate
senescent cells.
Use of carnosine as a natural anti-senescence drug for human beings.
Wang AM, Ma C, Xie ZH, Shen F.Biochemistry (Mosc) 2000 Jul;65(7):869-71.
Department of Biochemistry, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, PR China.
Carnosine is an endogenous free-radical scavenger. The latest research indicates
that apart from the function of protecting cells from oxidation-induced stress damage,
carnosine appears to be able to extend the lifespan of cultured cells, rejuvenate
senescent cells, inhibit the toxic effects of amyloid peptide (A beta), malondialdehyde,
and hypochlorite to cells, inhibit glycosylation of proteins and protein-DNA and
protein-protein cross-linking, and maintain cellular homeostasis. Also, carnosine seems to
delay the impairment of eyesight with aging, effectively preventing and treating senile
cataract and other age-related diseases. Therefore, carnosine may be applied to human
being as a drug against aging.
Longevity fact
Japanese girls born in 2007 can expect to live until they are 86 years
old, which would make them the longest survivors in the world. Boys born
in 2007 can expect to live to the age of 79, ranking third after Iceland
and Hong Kong.
Mitochondria and acetyl-l-carnitine
Mitochondrial decay has been postulated to be a significant underlying part of the
aging process. Decline in mitochondrial function may lead to cellular energy deficits,
especially in times of greater energy demand, and compromise vital ATP-dependent cellular
operations, including detoxification, repair systems, DNA replication, and osmotic
balance. Mitochondrial decay may also lead to enhanced oxidant production and thus render
the cell more prone to oxidative insult. In particular, the heart may be especially
susceptible to mitochondrial dysfunction due to myocardial dependency on beta-oxidation of
fatty acids for energy and the postmitotic nature of cardiac myocytes, which would allow
for greater accumulation of mitochondrial mutations and deletions. Thus, maintenance of
mitochondrial function may be important to maintain overall myocardial function. Herein,
we review the major age-related changes that occur to mitochondria in the aging heart and
the evidence that two such supplements, acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR) and (R)-alpha-lipoic
acid, may improve myocardial bioenergetics and lower the increased oxidative stress
associated with aging. We and others have shown that feeding old rats ALCAR reverses the
age-related decline in carnitine levels and improves mitochondrial beta-oxidation in a
number of tissues studied. However, ALCAR supplementation does not appear to reverse the
age-related decline in cardiac antioxidant status and thus may not substantially alter
indices of oxidative stress. Lipoic acid, a potent thiol antioxidant and mitochondrial
metabolite, appears to increase low molecular weight antioxidant status and thereby
decreases age-associated oxidative insult. Thus, ALCAR along with lipoic acid may be
effective supplemental regimens to maintain myocardial function.
Smokers: Pop a Vitamin C Pill Before You Puff
Almost everyone
is aware of the harm cigarette smoke causes to lung tissue and reduce longevity,
but not as many people realize that smoking causes damage to arteries, and this
harm occurs relatively quickly. Short-term cigarette smoking is associated with
endothelial dysfunction. The endothelium is the the layer of cells that lines
the heart and blood vessels and smoking is known to cause dysfunction of this
important tissue. A study conducted at the Athens University Medical School in
Athens, Greece, examined the effect of orally administered ascorbic acid
(vitamin C) on cigarette smoking-induced endothelial dysfunction. In this
double-blind, randomized, crossover study, 19 healthy subjects were examined by
high-resolution ultrasonography of the brachial artery (the artery in the arm)
before and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after smoking a cigarette. Measurements
were performed on two different days, 2 hours after oral administration of 2
grams of ascorbic acid or placebo. After smoking, blood flow dropped to less
than half of the baseline value. Thereafter in the placebo group, blood flow
increased to 70% of baseline value in 90 minutes, but in the ascorbic acid group
blood flow increased to 70% of baseline value in half the time. The researchers
conclude, "Oral administration of ascorbic acid attenuates endothelial
dysfunction after short-term cigarette smoking by shortening its duration."
Comments: For those who are not able to
stop their smoking habit, it would seem that taking vitamin C partially
mitigates the harm caused to the blood vessels. A dose of 200 to 500 mg of
vitamin C taken once or twice a day seems reasonable.
November 2006 Longevity Report
Americans are living longer, with
life span at a record average of just short of 80 years, according to the annual
report on the nation's health from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. At birth, life expectancy for females is just over 80 years and
nearly 75 for males. The gap in life expectancy between white and black
Americans also has narrowed from seven years in 1990 to five years in 2004. Life
expectancy at birth reached a record 77.9 years in 2004, up from 77.5 in 2003
and from 75.4 in 1990.
2004 - A report issued by the National Center for Health Statistics indicates
improved longevity in the US.
American adults are living longer, fewer babies are dying in infancy, and the gap between
white and black life expectancy has narrowed during the past decade. In 2000, average life
expectancy at birth hit record highs, with men at 74.1 years and women at 79.5 years. A
century earlier, life expectancy was 48 years for men and 51 years for women. Those who
reach age 65 now live to an average age of 81 for men and 84 for women. It is
unclear whether this trend in longevity will continue.
2001--For men, life expectancy rose from 74.3 in 2000 to 74.4 years in 2001. Women's life
expectancy rose from 79.7 to 79.8 years. White women have the highest life expectancy,
80.2 years, followed by black women (75.5 years), white men (75 years) and black men (68.6
years).
The field of longevity and anti-aging is full of promises and unsubstantiated claims. As of now, there is no definitive research in humans of any substances or techniques that have been proven to extend longevity. However, there are a number of steps we can take to potentially live longer. These include:
Additional potential longevity enhancers:
Being financially stable
Having a satisfying career
Healing old and new emotional wounds
Having a personal religious or philosophical belief system that gives meaning to this
world.
Driving safely, wearing seat belts, minimizing the use of cell phones while driving.
Supplements for Longevity
There is currently no evidence that taking supplements or hormones (such as growth
hormone) will make us live longer. However, it seems reasonably safe to take small amounts
of certain supplements that have shown preliminary research to be helpful.
Longevity Gene
A variation in a particular gene involved in regulating cholesterol is known to
be associated with longevity, and now it seems it also confers mental sharpness
in old age. Researchers examined whether a variant of the CETP gene, called the
V type, played a role in preserving cognitive function in 158 Ashkenazi Jews
with exceptional longevity. Their average age was 99.2 years. Overall, 29
percent of the subjects with good cognitive function had the V type CETP gene,
compared to 14 percent with poor cognitive function. Looked at the other way, 61
percent of those with the V type had good cognitive function versus 30 percent
of those with another type. The team then studied 173 subjects from the Einstein
Aging Study to confirm the role of CETP in a younger cohort. The CETP V type was
approximately five times more common in subjects without dementia than in those
with dementia. Neurology, December 2006.
Longevity Predictor
Nine factors were good predictors
of which middle-aged men would live healthily into their 80s and beyond,
concluded a 40-year longevity study of nearly 6,000 Japanese-American men living
in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The factors include, not being overweight; having
low blood pressure; low blood sugar levels; low levels of bad cholesterol; not
drinking alcohol excessively; not becoming overweight; not smoking; having a
strong grip, achieving a high level of education; and being married. Grip
strength, which can be measured by a test, is a strong indication of upper body
strength. It is further proof "that it is important to be physically robust in
midlife...consistent with theories of aging that suggest that better built
organisms last longer," the study said. The men in the study were an average of
54 years old when it began in 1965. Those who managed to meet all the healthful
criteria had an 80 percent chance of living to age 80, and also were much more
likely to attain old age while avoiding illness. Of the 5,820 original study
participants, 2,451 (42 percent) survived to age 85, and 655 participants (11
percent) reached that age without suffering serious health problems such as
heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. "Your chances were more than 60 percent of
being healthy at that age if you avoided these risk factors, yet if you had six
or more of these risk factors you had less than a 10 percent chance of living
into your mid-80s," said study author Dr. Bradley Willcox of Pacific Health
Research Institute in Honolulu. The over-85 age bracket is the fastest growing
in industrialized countries, but it also comprises the biggest consumers of
health care resources, the study said. Women tend to outlive men, the study
said. More than twice as many American women than men live to age 85, and three
times as many women live into their nineties, the longevity report in this
week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association said.
Longevity risk for various jobs
Firefighters have a risk of 10.6 deaths per
100,000 people per year, compared to 3.9 for all occupations and 0.4 for office
workers. Being a truck driver is riskier than being a firefighter, with 44
deaths per 100,000 people per year. Bicyclists face a death rate of 2.1 per
100,000 people a year, compared to 0.49 for skiers. Swimming has a death risk of
0.88 per 100,000 people a year but climbing mountains in the Himalayas carries a
13,000 per 100,000 climbers per year risk. For transport, the researchers
estimated risks both in terms of 100,000 people per year and per 100 million
miles traveled. Traveling by commercial airliner carries a risk of 0.03 deaths
per 100 million miles or 0.15 deaths per 100,000 people a year. Car and light
truck travel has a 0.7 fatality risk per 100 million miles or 11 per 100,000
people per year, compared to 450 for motorcycle travel and 1.3 for using a cell
phone while driving.
Education
From 1990 to 2000, life expectancy for people with at least some college
education rose 1.6 years while remaining static for less-educated people. In
2000, those in the less-educated group could be expected at age 25 to live to
about age 75 while those in the more-educated group could be expected to reach
82.
Work and longevity
There may be a connection between retirement and mortality in apparently healthy
people. In a study of nearly 17,000 Greek adults, researchers found that those
who were retired at enrollment were 51 percent more likely to die during the
study period than their same-age counterparts who were still working. Among
retirees, those who left the workforce at a younger age were at greater risk of
dying during the study. American Journal of Epidemiology, March 2008.
Menstrual cycle onset and
longevity
Women who have their first menstrual period at a younger-than-average age live
shorter lives than their peers. In a long-term study of more than 61,000
Norwegian women, girls who began menstruating at a relatively young age -
12 or younger -- had a slightly higher risk of dying during the study period.
Among women who had their first period at the age of 10 or 11, the risk of death
was roughly 10 percent higher than that of women who began menstruating at age
14 -- the average for the study group.