Antiaging News

Vitamin C, potent anti-aging agent

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:04:00 +0000

According to a recent research published in the online version of Cell Stem Cell, vitamin C has shown promise in slowing down the ageing process by facilitating output of embryonic-like stem cells from adult cells.

By turning on a select set of genes, adult cells can be reprogrammed into cells with features similar to embryonic stem cells. Researchers found that adding vitamin C to reprogrammed cells (called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)) enhanced iPSC generation from both mouse and human cells. Vitamin C accelerated gene expression changes and promoted a more efficient transition to the fully reprogrammed state.

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that is abundant in citrus fruits. Vitamin C’s powerful antioxidant properties may be the reason why it assists in cell reprogramming; in fact its potent influence on cell reprogramming may be considered a step towards the reversal of the aging process, at the cellular level.

While the above findings may sound jargonic, the fact is antioxidant properties found in fruits and green vegetables are known to benefit our bodies, and thereby also our external appearances.
According to dermatologists, exposure to sunlight and pollutants in the atmosphere accounts for much of the damage to your skin. Eating foods rich in antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, helps to prevent this damage. Foods rich in antioxidants also help to slow ageing at the cellular level.

Vitamin C also has other health benefits such as protection against blood disorders such as anemia; research has also shown that inclusion of sufficient amount of vitamin C in your diet can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Recommended sources of Vitamin C are: Citrus fruits, green peppers, sprouts, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, strawberries, and raw cabbage.

Beauty Beverly Hills Introduces SUPRA Night Cream

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:51:00 +0000

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Sept 01, 2009 A Night-time, Anti-aging, Before Bed Applied Cream To Turn Back The Clock

Regal International, Inc., doing business as Beauty Beverly Hills (www.BeautyBeverlyHills.com) exclusive worldwide distributor of the EMK Placental anti-aging skin care product line, announces the launch of the SUPRA Night Cream(TM), a night-time skin care recovery cream designed to combat aging skin while one sleeps. It is principally based on two new revolutionary ingredients that are on the scientific cutting edge of high performance skincare: Biotechnological Herbal Placental Extract and Carnosine.

SUPRA night cream's( )first new ingredient is Herbal Placental Extract: a bio-identical plant based extract that has the same ability to rejuvenate the skin as human placenta. By stimulating cellular turnover and reviving the skin's natural metabolic processes, it helps to counteract the negative effects of maturing skin. Further, it promotes circulation and oxygenation, activating the flow of moisture while assisting in new collagen to the skin.

The second ingredient is Carnosine, a powerful ingredient included in the SUPRA night cream. This newly added ingredient is a key amino acid that acts as a powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-glycation agent. It has the unique ability to reduce damage to maturing skin collagen.

"We have incorporated a breakthrough in skin care technology using over 30 proprietary ingredients, all organic that work synergistically to regenerate and invigorate the skin," says Benik Hovsepian, President of Beauty Beverly Hills. "This results in stimulating cellular turnover and reviving up the skin's natural metabolic processes, all necessary components for skin rejuvenation. Essentially, night-time application results in wrinkles and fine lines gradually diminishing while one sleeps."

The SUPRA night cream is designed for all skin types, including very sensitive skin.

It is the newest addition to the Beauty Beverly Hills EMK product line, an all green and environmentally-friendly product line that does not engage in animal testing.

"The new SUPRA night cream is part of an overall growth strategy with a commitment to developing cutting edge anti-aging skin care products that are also environmentally sustainable without animal testing," says Jason Bordbar, MBA, and Consultant for Beauty Beverly Hills. "The entire supply chain process, from development and production to packaging and distribution, all incorporate greener measures designed to reduce carbon footprints and minimize the impact that products produce on the environment."

The new organic SUPRA night cream is now available for immediate purchase online exclusively by www.BeautyBeverlyHills.com and at participating dealers.

Once only Available to Celebrities-- EMK is now available to you.

About Beauty Beverly Hills

Regal International Inc., DBA Beauty Beverly Hills has provided marketing, sales and consulting services for the past two decades. It provides worldwide distributorship for the development and management of internet affiliates, marketing and sales for the EMK product line. Beauty Beverly Hills employs a powerful team of business professionals with an extensive track record in IT consulting, marketing and public relations.

For more information on the product visit http://www.BeautyBeverlyHills.com.

This release was issued on behalf of the above organization by Send2Press(R), a unit of Neotrope(R). http://www.Send2Press.com

Fountain Of Youth Discovered
-- Just ask Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon and Celebrates.

Obama White House Can Save $3.7 Trillion and Extend Lifespan 29+ Years, Predicts Revolutionary A4M Healthcare Plan

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:50:00 +0000

CHICAGO, July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M; www.worldhealth.net), the world's largest scientific/medical society dedicated to advancing research and clinical pursuits that enhance the quality, and extend the quantity, of the human lifespan, unveils an innovative, technology-based fix to healthcare with the potential to:

* Increase the lifespan, or improve the healthspan, of all Americans by 29+ years;
* Slash healthcare costs, saving $3.7 Trillion; and
* Replace the disease-based approach to medicine with a wellness-oriented model

A comprehensive program to reform and advance healthcare in the United States, The A4M Twelve-Point Actionable Healthcare Plan: A Blueprint for A Low Cost, High Yield Wellness Model of Healthcare by 2012 has garnered support from 35 professional medical organizations and educational institutions and was developed with invaluable input from the 24,000 physician, health practitioner, and scientist members of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M; www.worldhealth.net) who represent 110 nations worldwide.

Today, Capitol Hill debates a $1.65 trillion, 10-year plan to overhaul the nation's failing healthcare system. The majority of the plan focuses on how to pay for health insurance, rather than formulating a comprehensive plan of action of reform itself. The Twelve-Point Plan submits that the underlying philosophy of healthcare in this nation must be reformed in revolutionary new ways. As reported by the Congressional Budget Office, up to one-third of this nation's healthcare spending -- more than $700 billion -- does not improve Americans' health outcomes.

Anti-aging medicine is biotechnology joined with advanced clinical preventive medicine. Adoption of the anti-aging medical model delivers the best of advanced preventive medicine to all Americans, not just our older population. The Twelve-Point Plan offers new answers by urging the adoption of a technology-based, wellness-oriented healthcare model for America.

The A4M Twelve-Point Actionable Healthcare Plan provides practicable "here and now" solutions to reform and advance healthcare in the US, while addressing the challenges of global aging. Indeed, the implementation of The A4M Twelve-Point Actionable Healthcare Plan: A Blueprint for A Low Cost, High Yield Wellness Model of Healthcare by 2012 may save our society a projected $3.64 Trillion in healthcare costs, and extend the healthy lifespan of each of our nation's residents by up to 29 productive, vital years.

Complete references, supporting data, and projections may be viewed at: http://www.waaam.org/twelve_points_summary.php.

CONTACT: Catherine Cebula
PHONE: (877) 572-0608
WEBSITE: www.worldhealth.net

SOURCE The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M)

Fish Oil: A Miracle "Cure" for Menopause?

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:49:00 +0000

Lots of women won’t take hormone replacement because of the risk of blood clots and cancer. So it’s great to have a natural alternative that relieves many symptoms associated with menopause — fish oil.

A recent study showed that fish oil cut the number of hot flashes in half in women ages 40 - 55. The women took a fish oil supplement rich in the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, for about eight weeks. (Lucas M, Asselin G, et al. Menopause, 2009 Mar-April;16(2):357-66.)

The same researchers also found that that fish oil improved symptoms of moderate to severe psychological distress. That’s not surprising, since fish oil has been found to help relieve depression, feelings of aggression, bipolar disorder and some memory problems. Just relieving hot flashes often helps women sleep better at night, which in turn, can help improve mood. (Lucas M, Asselin G, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Feb;89(2):641-51.)

If you’re a woman age 50 or older, you should also know that fish can improve cholesterol levels and reduce the risk for heart disease, stroke and blood clots, lower your chances of developing breast or endometrial cancer, help keep bones stronger, relieve dry eyes, even help you maintain a healthy weight. If fish oil were a patented drug marketed by a giant pharmaceutical company, I’m sure it would be called a miracle “cure” for menopause!

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Even if you eat plenty of fish, it’s hard to get enough omega-3s to have optimal health benefits. Fish oil is one of the easiest and best all around anti-aging nutrients you can take. Make sure you get a fresh, pure, molecularly distilled brand of fish oil rich in EPA and DHA.

Yo Betta Eat ‘Dem Sweet Potatoes, Boy!

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:45:00 +0000

It seems the color purple in a new breed of sweet potato is a likely culprit in reducing cancer risk. Researchers at Kansas State University are studying the purple sweet potato for its remarkable anti-cancer components.

Purple sweet potatoes have high contents of anthocyanin (the pigment responsible for the purple colors in foods like blueberries, red grapes and red cabbage) which have been established for its reduced cancer risk.

The study determined that the purple sweet potato had significantly higher anthocyanin contents compared to the other potatoes. Dr. George Wang, associate professor of human nutrition at K- State and lead study researcher suggests that the purple sweet potato “should be generally recognized as safe and won’t need to be evaluated by FDA for an approval.”

This new breed of powerful sweet potato was developed by K-State’s Ted Carey, professor of horticulture, at John C. Pair Horticultural Center in Haysville. “If we claim it for a health benefit such as cancer prevention in the future, we still need scientific data to convince FDA for a health claim approval” said Wang.

The benefits of the purple pigment do not end there. Further research suggests that the purple sweet potato has significant aging-reducing properties. According to K-State’s Soyoung Lim, doctoral student in human nutrition who is also working on the study “compounds [in the purple sweet potato] have been found to have anti-aging and antioxidant components. The specially bred purple sweet potato had a much higher total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity than the other regularly occurring purple sweet potatoes.

Lim presented the research at the Experimental Biology Meeting in New Orleans in April. She is doing a follow-up study this summer that will involve treating animal cancer cells with the pigments. Further research will determine how many and how often one should eat the purple sweet potato for its antic-cancer properties to be effective. Currently, this breed of sweet potato is available at Asian grocery stores, however, Wang advises that the unique variety developed by K-State contains “much higher contents of anthocyanins.”

If purple is not your color, or impatience serves you well, conventional sweet potatoes contain unique root storage proteins that have been observed to have significant antioxidant capacities. Studies suggest that these proteins had about one-third the antioxidant activity of glutathione-one of the body’s most impressive internally produced antioxidants.

Additional research at K-State also suggest that if you are frequently exposed to second hand smoke, sweet potatoes may save your life. While studying the relationship between vitamin A, lung inflammation, and emphysema, Richard Baybutt, associate professor of nutrition at Kansas State, made a surprising discovery: a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency. Baybutt’s earlier research had shown that laboratory animals fed a vitamin A-deficient diet developed emphysema. He suggests that a diet rich in vitamin A can reduce the effects of emphysema.

Baybutt believes vitamin A’s protective effects may help explain why some smokers do not develop emphysema. “There are a lot of people who live to be 90 years old and are smokers,” he said. “Why? Probably because of their diet…The implications are that those who start smoking at an early age are more likely to become vitamin A deficient and develop complications associated with cancer and emphysema” he said.
Sweet potatoes by their nature are an excellent source of Vitamins C and A (also known as the anti-aging vitamin). According to Jennifer Haas a dietician with the Nova Medical Group in Virginia, “Both beta-carotene and vitamin C are very powerful antioxidants that work in the body to eliminate free radicals.” Free radicals damage cells and can cause heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer.

FYI: Sweet potatoes last for about two weeks when stored in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area. Storing sweet potatoes in the refrigerator will alter their flavor. When cooked (as they should always be eaten), they last up to one week in the refrigerator. Steam them for eight minutes, with the skin on (wash, of course). I buy mine at Whole Foods and find them to be considerably sweeter with more orange pigment.

Secrets of Anti-Aging From a 105-Year-Old Woman

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Written by Ann Butenas

The world is full of anti-aging products, secrets, tips, and illusions, but if you truly want to feel remarkably years younger in an instant, then stand next to a gal well into her 105th year of life and see how you feel!

The simple fact that she is of such a mature age does not make you feel younger in and of itself. The fact that she is still full of life makes you feel younger, almost as if you have years ahead of you, no matter what your age.

I had to remind myself of this fact while at a meeting this morning. A younger man in the group, around age 27, pointed out that I am, well, older than he is. Yes, at 45, I am older, but that does not make me OLD. He was implying that I would probably be retiring within a few years. What???? I don’t know what his generation is thinking, but in my world, we never retire. People in my family are still employed at the time of their demise. My grandfather was into his nineties when he passed away, yet he was, up until a few months prior to his death, heading out to the office every day, just as he had for nearly 70 years. My uncle, age 74, works full-time as a medical doctor. I truly believe that his energy and work ethic have kept him young. You would never be able to tell at first glance that he is 74. I guarantee you that the young man who noted I would probably be retiring in a few years will be retired well before I will even think about it!

So, let’s get back to standing next to an elderly lady. (No, you are not standing next to me. Picture my granny here. Focus!) This past Sunday, I had the honor of meeting her at the airport on her return trip from the east coast. She had a three-hour layover before her “puddle jumper” plane escorted her back to her small town in the Midwest. This gave Grandma and my husband and I the opportunity to spend some quality time with each other. All I can say, is, Grandma surely can make all of us look bad when it comes to living life to the fullest!

According to sources on About.com, “for seniors, the term ‘aging well’ includes having a healthy body, an active mind, a healthy lifestyle, and a positive attitude. For Grandma, that means check, check, check, and double-check! She fits all of those criteria, and more! In 2004, a team of researchers from the University of Texas conducted a study that revealed, unsurprisingly, that “people with an upbeat view of life were less likely than pessimists to show signs of frailty.” Their findings suggested that people who held fast to a positive outlook on life were much less likely to become frail. Grandma has that one nailed down.

After we picked her up at the airport and retrieved her belongings from the baggage claim, we headed over to the adjacent terminal to find a place to grab a bite to eat and just chat before her connecting flight departed. The airport gave Grandma the use of a wheelchair as a courtesy. (For legal reasons, I am wondering if they give these to anyone who looks over 50!) Grandma could have walked on her own, but I think she enjoyed putting me to work, telling me to pull over at the nearest eating establishment! At the rate she was requiring me to hustle, I was afraid I might get pulled over for speeding!

We found a place to grab a bite to eat. During our lunch, Grandma began to pontificate about life.

“You know,” she began. “I keep thinking about Heaven. I mean, how do they possibly have room for all of those people up there?”

I never thought about it that way and asked her, “What do you mean? There is plenty of room. I am sure of that.”

“No,” she continued. “I just don’t see how there could be much more room up there now. I suppose I have to wait around to die until they kick a few out.”

She took a slurp of her soup and then said, “And I certainly do not intend to head in the opposite direction when I die!” Leave it to Grandma to have such a delicate reference to Hell.

Since we were on the topic, I asked her who she would probably see first in Heaven, provided they cleared out the clutter first.

“Oh, I suppose I would see Lloyd and L.A.,” she expressed, in reference to her late husband who passed away 30 years ago and to my late father, her oldest son, who died at a young age.

“Do you think they will let Uncle Blaine up there when he dies?” I joked.

Not missing a beat and recognizing the orneriness of her 74-year-old, very energetic son, Grandma replied, “They may not want him!” Then she laughed that all-out guffaw for which she is known by family and friends. If you are sitting or standing near her when she laughs, you could get sprayed! Bring some wipes.

After lunch, her sweet tooth kicked in. She was on the prowl for some chocolate or a big cinnamon roll with all of the calories smeared over it. At her age, calories are the least of her worries! (Wouldn’t that be great?) She is not large, yet eating is her favorite sport. “If I can’t eat it, I don’t want it,” she will respond when asked what she wants for her birthday. “I’ll eat anything.”

I have heard that a sense of humor keeps the years off of a person, too. No wonder Grandma is still rocking it! At one point during our airport stay, we got a bit bored. I had an idea and asked Grandma if she would be willing to participate. I did not have to ask her twice.

We decided that I would sit in the wheelchair and she would push ME! She got up out of the chair and I plopped my hindquarters in it. She stood behind it and began pushing me down the terminal. Between fits of laughter, I had to yell, “Grandma! Slow down! You’re scaring me!” My husband had the foresight to break out the camera at this point. Since I was thus caught on film “abusing” a geriatric, I then made my husband get in the chair, and, yes, Grandma pushed HIM! The looks we got from people ran from general intrigue to “what’s the number for the geriatric abuse hotline?” It was, in true fashion, a Borat-like moment! And Grandma loved it! If you don’t believe me, check out the photos with this article. No, I did not pay her to smile. She is smiling because she knows that she is named in MY will and that, with her active and upbeat lifestyle, she quite possibly could outlive me. Don’t let the chocolate reference fool you! She has it going on…and on…..and on….

Once we put the wheelchair aside, she asked me, “So, how about a cruise next summer?”

That is yet another way to avert the aging process. Make plans to live for…and live a life that others would die for! Just make sure you keep a comfortable place up in Heaven for Grandma one of these years!

The End of Aging? Inside the New Hunt for a Cure to Growing Old

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:19:00 +0000

Old age has always been like the weather: Everybody talks about aging, but nobody does anything about it. Oh, they’ve tried. For millennia, charlatans have been offering remedies for aging that didn’t work any better than baldness cures and virility restorers.

Now, however, with baldness cures and virility restorers that do work found as close as the nearest drugstore, researchers have started looking into ways to slow, stop or perhaps even reverse the changes that accompany aging. If these scientists succeed, their breakthroughs may lead to major changes in human society.

We’ve long regarded aging as something almost mystical or supernatural, and it’s easy to see why. Unlike, say, smallpox, aging doesn’t come on suddenly or spread from person to person. You also don’t recover from it, as you do from most infectious diseases. It happens gradually, and it’s pretty much unrelenting. Eyesight dims, joints get stiff and achy, teeth go bad and, in general, things just keep getting worse until death arrives.

But research demonstrates that aging isn’t a supernatural process; it’s a physical one that gradually occurs as systems wear out beyond the body’s ability to repair them. Cells fill up with metabolic debris called lipofuscin that they can’t digest, accompanied by decreasing functionality. They also undergo glycation, gumming up and caramelizing with sugars that have bonded to proteins. Mitochondrial DNA can suffer mutations, and the body slowly loses stem cells, which weakens healing and repair.

Aging is breakdown, but broken things can be fixed. After all, cars and airplanes tend to wear out as they get older, but with sufficient maintenance they can last far beyond their design life.

Biogerontologists like Aubrey de Grey, author of Ending Aging, believe that living longer is a fairly straightforward engineering problem: Find out what breaks and fix it. De Grey promotes an approach he calls Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence, or SENS. It identifies seven specific breakdowns and attempts to attack each of them in turn. He and others are researching longevity with support from nonprofits and an X Prize approach aimed at extending the life span of mice. (Researchers call it the Mprize, a reference to their quest to engineer the “Methuselah mouse.”) I certainly wish them well — after all, I’m not getting any younger — but de Grey says that it will probably be 20 or 30 years before we see effective antiaging drugs on the market.

Scientists have already identified more modest life extenders. It’s pretty thoroughly established that red wine’s resveratrol activates the SIRT-1 gene, which seems to clean out intracellular gunk. (The gene is also triggered by calorie restriction.) Studies show that rats dosed with resveratrol — or given low-calorie diets — seem to live longer and remain far more vital than ordinary rats. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is currently conducting human testing of a drug called SRT501 as a treatment for diabetes, but it may also hold promise for retarding the aging process and alleviating a number of inflammatory diseases that go with getting older.

At Stanford, researchers have reversed the aging of skin in mice, making it look and act like young skin, which contains cells that reproduce rapidly. This treatment isn’t ready for humans, but it suggests an approach. And given the popularity of cosmetics that merely address the appearance of aging, it seems likely a product that actually produces new skin would sell like hotcakes.

Meanwhile, commercial resveratrol supplements are available, and people are taking them, including some scientists in the field. As part of the research for this column, I started taking one.

On the flip side, people often see extended longevity as dubious, envisioning extra years in the nursing home. As Jay Leno says, “People tell you to eat right and exercise, but that only gives you more years in your 80s. Who needs that? What I really want are more years in my 20s.” New treatments for aging would give us just that — or at least healthier years in our 60s and 70s. The goal isn’t just more years in your life, but more life in your years.

If antiaging drugs eventually work, who could be against them? Well, Dr. Leon Kass, for one. Kass, former chairman of the President’s Council on Bioethics, writes: “Is it really true that longer life for individuals is an unqualified good? If the human life span were increased even by only 20 years, would the pleasures of life increase proportionately?”

The obvious answer: It depends on the individual. But on a societal level, the extension of people's productive working lives could pay huge dividends. If people stay youthful longer, we’ll see less pressure on the stressed-out social security systems of most industrialized countries. If 65-year-olds were as vigorous as 35-year-olds, or even 45-year-olds, there would be no reason to fund their retirement. Pushing the retirement age back a decade or two could save trillions. And, of course, if you can actually reverse aging, the whole notion of retirement becomes obsolete.

The reality is that Americans now live longer, healthier lives by several decades than the majority did a century ago. Most of us think it’s a good thing. Would extending this phenomenon by several more decades be good, too? Seems like it to me.

Compound Found in Berries Fights Wrinkles

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:17:00 +0000

A compound found in berries prevents sun damage.

By Gale Maleskey, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian

If you’re like me, you don’t want to look any older than you have to. Wrinkles are a part of aging, but I don’t want any more than absolutely necessary! I also don’t want to spend money on expensive cosmetic procedures that smooth out wrinkles for a few months with painful injections!

So I’m really happy to find out that something I really enjoy — berries — can help to stop wrinkles and sun damage to skin.

We already knew that berries have lots of healthy properties. A compound, ellagic acid, found in berries, green tea, and some other fruits, vegetables and nuts, is a potent antioxidant. So it helps to protect us from cancer, aging and environmental toxins.

New research also shows that ellagic acid has very specific effects on the skin. Researchers from South Korea found that a topical application of ellagic acid markedly prevents collagen destruction and inflammatory response, both major causes of wrinkles, in skin cells exposed to harmful sunlight. The ellagic acid worked to prevent UV damage by blocking production of enzymes that break down collagen in damaged skin cells and by reducing the genetic expression of a molecule involved in inflammation. The result: less redness, thickening and wrinkling of the skin.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: This study used a topical form of ellagic acid, but there is good reason to believe that berries also work their skin magic from the inside out. That’s why I’m eating more berries than ever! You can get even more protection from berries by adding concentrated, standardized extracts of berries to your supplements regimen.

Anti-aging study shows drug gives mice longevity boost even late in life

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:17:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A drug known to suppress the immune system, and possibly inhibit cancer and other destructive aging processes, is the new frontrunner in federally supported anti-aging studies.

In the study, mice fed the drug rapamycin, even starting in late middle age, had their lifespan extended by 9 to 14 percent. The results appear online and will be published in the journal Nature July 16.
University of Michigan scientist Richard A. Miller, M.D., Ph.D., says the findings are the most robust yet in the ongoing animal experiments at his lab and two others. The study, now in its sixth year, tests agents that have potential to slow aging. The other study sites are the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas, and the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine.

“While other results have been promising, the rapamycin effect is bigger, and worked even when started in late middle age,” says Miller, a professor of pathology at the U-M Medical School and associate director of the U-M Geriatrics Center.

In the study, both male and female mice who were 600 days old were fed the experimental diet. Mice fed a normal diet with rapamycin lived longer than those fed a normal diet without the drug. Rapamycin led to a 14 percent increase in lifespan in female mice, and a 9 percent increase in lifespan for male mice.

The mice were well past middle age when the study started. Rarely does a mouse of this type live longer than 1,200 days.

In a separate study, rapamycin fed to mice beginning at 270 days of age increased survival in both male and females.

The idea for using rapamycin was suggested by Zelton Dave Sharp, of the University of Texas. A review committee decided to test this agent because rapamycin blocks a protein called “target of rapamycin,” or TOR. Mutant worms with low TOR are longer-lived than regular worms. The TOR also plays a big role in how cells respond to nutrients, hormones and stress.

The anti-aging results present a potential new strength of rapamycin. Rapamycin is a powerful drug that’s used in medicine to turn down immune responses, for example in patients who have had a kidney transplant. The drug diminishes the patient’s ability to reject the transplanted kidney. It’s also emerging as an anti-cancer drug.

“We do not know if the good effects of rapamycin in our mice are due to its anti-immune effects, its anti-cancer effects, or some other effect,” Miller says. “We’re hoping that we may someday prove that the drug has an anti-aging effect with the ability to slow many aspects of aging.”

The large, carefully controlled study at the three sites, called the NIA interventions Testing Program, is intended to provide some of the first reliable data on potential drugs to slow aging and its accompanying ills, he says.

Miller says prior studies of putative anti-aging medications have typically not been repeated at second sites, partly due to time and expense, and their results have proven to be hard to confirm in subsequent studies. “So showing that the drug worked at three sites provides much stronger evidence for effectiveness than a study at any one site would produce

“The observation that the drug worked in all three sites makes the basic finding much less likely to be due to some statistical fluke or some unsuspected experimental factor,” Miller says.

Randy Strong of the University of Texas Health Science Center, David E. Harrison of the Jackson Laboratory and Miller are chief collaborators in the National Institute on Aging Project and are authors of the report, along with Sharp, James F. Nelson, Clinton M. Astle, Kevin Flurkey, Nancy L. Nadon, J. Erby Wilkinson, associate professor of comparative pathology in the Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine and associate professor of pathology at the U-M Medical School, Krystyna Frenkel, Christy S. Carter, Marco Pahor, Martin A. Javors, and Elizabeth Fernandez.

Funding: National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health

Reference: Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature 08221; scheduled for print publication July 16, 2009

# # #

Written by Shantell M. Kirkendoll

Ten Antiaging Superfoods To Eat More Of

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:15:00 +0000

Needing to revitalize the regular, good-for-you diet of chicken and broccoli? Try out some of the following superfoods that score big nutritional value! For delicious recipe ideas, click on links.

Guava This tropical delight is especially high in fiber. The apple guava variety contains nearly four times more vitamin C than a single orange.

Avocado One fruit contains approximately 10 grams of fiber. According to a study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, avocados contain enough lutein to stop cancer growth in a lab experiment. Lutein is also a powerful antioxidant contributing to good eye health.

Chia Seeds This delicately crunchy seed was cherished by the Aztecs and is known for its energy producing effects. Only one ounce contains approximately 11 grams of fiber and 5 grams of omega 3 essential fatty acids.

Gooseberries This tart berry is relatively low in sugar compared to most fruit, and high in cancer-fighting vitamin C and vitamin A. The purple variety contains almost 50 percent more antioxidants than blueberries.

Ostrich Meat While it comes from a bird, it tastes more like red meat and much leaner in saturated fat than steak or chicken. It is an excellent source of zinc, selenium, and iron.

Walnuts When eaten raw, only one ounce contains an adequate amount of the U.S. recommended daily amount of omega 3 oils. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, eating walnuts regularly lead to a 35 percent reduced risk of coronary heart disease.

Greek Yogurt This low fat, creamy treat is significantly higher in protein, calcium and probiotics than regular yogurt. A study in the International Journal of Obesity found that dieters eating three servings a day of yogurt a day lost 22 percent more weight and 61 percent more body fat than dieters who did not eat yogurt.

Artic Char Closely related to salmon, this fish is milder in taste and boasts high levels of Omega 3 oils and protein.

Prickly Pear Cactus This savory plant is a rich source of fiber, vitamins A and C and potassium. A 2007 study in the Diabetes Care reported that prickly pear cactus can help reduce blood sugar levels.

Cremini Mushrooms This slightly darker shade of mushrooms is known for its rich flavor. A 2006 German study found that cremini mushrooms have several antimicrobial properties that could protect your body, from disease and infection.

Hollee Enright
Go to Hollee's Home Page
Phoenix Healthy Living Examiner

Functional foods' that pack a healthy antioxidant punch

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:04:00 +0000

(ARA) - Antioxidants work in our bodies to prevent or slow the damage done by free radicals. Like rust on a car, oxidation can damage our cells and may contribute to age-related health problems. Antioxidants are known to provide anti-aging properties and, according to the American Dietetic Association, may even increase immune function and possibly decrease the risk of infection and cancer.

While 70 percent of us are aware of antioxidants and their health benefits, most may not know how to easily incorporate high antioxidant foods into our busy, fast-paced lives. Simple solutions for a balanced and healthy lifestyle include eating a diet rich in "functional foods" or foods with a purpose -- foods that offer far-reaching benefits beyond just satiating our appetites -- such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

The good news is there's no need to sacrifice health for convenience. For example, Sunsweet Antioxidant Blend is a delicious dried fruit blend of cherries, plums, wild blueberries and cranberries, which are four of the highest scoring, free radical fighting fruits according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Fruit snacks are a healthy choice because they are high in antioxidants and offer multiple functional benefits. For example, prunes, also known as dried plums, are considered a "super fruit" because they are not only high in antioxidants; they also promote a strong immune system, improve heart health and are good for healthy bones.

"Functional foods are an important part of a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and physical activity," says Steve Harris, vice president of marketing at Sunsweet Growers. "Functional dried fruits, like those found in Antioxidant Blend, offer a quick, convenient and healthy snack, as well as a nutrient-packed ingredient that can accent a tossed salad, enhance baked goods, or sweeten up any favorite recipe."

Try these tasty suggestions to get the most out of functional dried fruits:

* For a treat that's smart to eat, combine with raw almonds for a powerful and satiating snack.

* To enhance a meal, add to a mixed greens or spinach salad for added flavor and nutrition.

* For a boost to your breakfast, start by mixing the blend with hot oatmeal and benefit from the whole grains and fruit.

* Add a flavorful punch to any baking recipe by mixing the blend in breads or bran muffins.

* Add pizzazz to appetizers and snacks by pairing with low-fat cheeses.

Drug Stock Points to Fountain of Youth

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:18:00 +0000

Dear Mr. Berko: I read an article in the New York Times about a company called Sirtis that has developed a proprietary drug that is supposed to be an anti-aging drug. I can't find the stock listed anywhere so it's probably a private company or owned by another drug company. If its private than I'll forget about it but if its public or part of a public company I'd like to know about it and maybe buy some shares. So what can you tell me about Sirtis and its drug? And do you think it's worth a gamble of a few thousand dollars? — N.M., Galesburg, Ill.

Dear N.M.: The ideal time to have purchased Sirtis (SIRT-$22.50) was after its initial public offering at $10 a share in May 2007. Dr. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School founded SIRT. It is a biomedical company focusing on small molecule drugs to treat metabolic diseases and diseases associated with aging. But you're too late because last May a company called Fountain Acquisition Corp. (FAC) paid $22.50 for all the outstanding shares of SIRT. So SIRT became a wholly owned subsidiary of FAC, which is 100 percent owned by Glaxo SmithKline Beecham (GSK-$45), one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. GSK is located across the pond in the United Kingdom.

According to my U.S. source at GSK, SIRT's research focuses on SRT501, "a proprietary formulation of resveratrol in Phase 1b clinical studies of patients with Type 2 diabetes, MELAS plus hematologic and solid tumor types." SIRT is also developing unique chemical compounds that are "new SRT activators" for metabolic, cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Big deal, Neal; there are hundreds of small biomedical outfits competing to develop new activators for these displeasing diseases.

What makes SIRT's research worth more than a peekaboo is its confirmation that resveratrol, an ingredient found in some — (notice I said "some" — red wines enhance longevity in rats by 30 percent.
(Who in their right mind would want to extend the longevity of a rat?)?

Medicinists, herbalists and alchemists and have been seeking the Fountain of Youth for thousands of years and science has long derided the concept of a life-extending elixir — till now. SIRT discovered that resveratrol activates a small molecule compound called sirtuin. Apparently sirtuin is a protein agent that activates our body's biological survival system by switching its resources from fertility to tissue/organ maintenance. The evolution of second preservation layer to tissue/organ maintenance extends life by diluting the degenerative diseases of aging and antagonizing cellular senescence, which reminds me of a ditty from Ogden Nash: "Senescence begins and middle age ends / The day your descendants outnumber your friends."

While it might be wonderful to have extended life and health, SIRT believes resveratrol/sirtuin is also a natural antagonist to Alzheimer's disease; so now you can enjoy your long life and remember it too. You can learn a lot more about this stuff in a recent inclusive peer-reviewed open resource from the PloS One or Public Library of Science.

While you can't own SIRT, you can own Glaxo SmithKline, inarguably one of the most prolific and highly respected pharmaceutical companies in the universe. The revenues, cash flow, earnings and dividend of which have more than tripled in the past two decades. This impressive pharmaceutical company issue sports a $2.07 dividend, which may be raised to $2.20 this year, that yields a smart 4.9 percent. Wall Street's 12-month target price for GSK is $52. If SIRT's research continues to demonstrate positive results this small molecule drug could become the blockbuster of all blockbusters. GSK is trading close to its four-year low and is the only way I know to participate in this exciting science. I believe there's little downside risk at this price and I, without a single compunction, recommend its purchase.

You can be among the young at heart

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Cardio Crusaders, a group of healthcare professionals dedicated to early detection and prevention of cardiovascular disease, have developed the "For the Young at Heart" program using the new technology of Pulsewave Analysis combined with a wellness program. Based on supplements, diet, exercise and coaching, the program helps to improve and maintain cardiovascular health.

The cornerstone of the Cardio Crusaders' program is the supplement L-arginine, which may provide health and anti-aging benefits. In 1998, three American scientists won the Nobel Prize for discovering that nitric oxide in the body relaxes and widens blood vessels. L-arginine, when combined with oxygen in the body, becomes nitric oxide. It produces an increase in blood flow, carrying more oxygen throughout the body. We can live a month without food, a week without water, but only three minutes without oxygen. It is our most important nutrient!

Pulsewave Analysis is an FDA-cleared, cutting-edge technology that can help detect cardiovascular disease by assessing a person's arterial health. After a simple, noninvasive three-minute test, a printout of important information on the subject's cardiovascular system is provided. The analysis observes the elasticity of arteries, changes in blood flow, velocity, pulse rate and profile of the pulse wave, all important factors to measure when determining cardiovascular risk.

The Cardio Crusaders "For the Young at Heart" program has been hailed as state-of-the-art by leading cardiologists.

Check out the Cardio Crusaders' interactive questionnaire at www.cardio crusaders.com. To find a doctor, health food store or health club that participates in the "For The Young At Heart" program, send an email to: info@cardio crusaders.com.

Jackie Silver is the founder and president of Aging Backwards, LLC and author of "Aging Backwards: Secrets to Staying Young." Send your questions or comments to: jackie@aging backwards.com or follow her on Twitter, @AgingBackwards.

Scientists closer to anti-aging drug

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Harvard researcher has pinned down 'longevity genes'

By Shannon Proudfoot, Canwest News Service June 3, 2009

Scientists know caloric restriction can delay aging and prolong life, but a Harvard researcher is working to develop a drug that could have the same effect without the extreme deprivation for which most people lack the desire and willpower.

"We are closer, it seems, than we've ever been -- but it's a big promise and I don't want to over-promise," says David Sinclair, a professor of pathology at the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging at the Harvard Medical School. "There have been way too many promises about anti-aging for millennia."

The scientific view of aging has changed drastically since the 1990s, he says. Before then, researchers believed the body simply wore down over time like an old car, and no serious thought was given to developing a medication that could slow that process.

Sinclair says researchers have now pinned down certain "longevity genes" that can be activated to deploy the body's repair mechanisms and potentially prolong people's lifespans.

Sinclair presented his work Wednesday at the 10th annual Age Boom Academy workshop run by the International Longevity Center, a non-profit think-tank.

Caloric restriction -- eating 20 to 40% fewer calories than normal -- has been found to slow the aging process, he says, and that, in turn, reduces age-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and neurodegeneration.

Sinclair's team has found that proteins called Sirtuins are responsible for this delay, and they're working to develop a drug that could have the same effect without the stringent diet requirements of caloric restriction.

Work like this was "the backwater of biology" at the beginning of his career in the early 1990s, he says, but it's now a popular field of research.

"Aging in general is now the forefront of molecular biology and pharmaceutical development," he says.

And while some bemoan the potential perils of dramatically longer lifespans, Sinclair believes if research like this is successful, upcoming generations will look back on this time as people now do on the days before antibiotics.

"Clearly, society won't be the same if people are living longer, healthier lives," he says.

In another session Wednesday, a geriatrician said the Canadian health-care system should be held up as an admirable example for the U.S. in grappling with the health needs of an aging population.

Diane Meier, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care at Mount Sinai Medical Center, urged journalists at the workshop to "expose the realities" of cracks in the U.S. system in an effort to balance out a recent advertising campaign taking aim at Canadian-style universal health care. A series of commercials funded by Conservatives for Patients' Rights has recently appeared on U.S. airwaves, decrying any move toward a "government-controlled" health-care system. The ads feature Dr. Brian Day, former president of the Canadian Medical Association, describing patients "languishing and suffering on wait lists," along with tales of woe from the British medical system.

Meier said a big challenge to changing any health-care system to better serve the needs of older adults is that their caregivers are already so overwhelmed with their duties, they have no time or energy left over to make their views heard.

"When you think about older people, it's far from a homogeneous group, and most older people's needs don't differ that much from the middle-aged population," Meier said.

New Study Reports... Diet AffectsThe Diversity Of Microbes In Human Gut and Subsequently In Risk For Colon Cancer and Other Diseases.

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:23:00 +0000

A typical Western diet, rich in meat and fats and low in complex carbohydrates from fruit, vegetables. etc. is a recipe for colon cancer as described to the Society for General Microbiology meeting at Harrogate in March.

An expanding body of evidence shows that the composition of the diet directly influences the diversity of the microbes in the gut, providing the link between diet, colonic disease and colon cancer.

People who regularly eat a healthy diet containing high levels of complex carbohydrates had significant populations of micro-organisms in their gut called Firmicutes. These bacteria use the undigested residues of starch and proteins in the colon to manufacture short-chain fatty acids and vitamins such as folate and biotin, helping maintain colonic health. One of these fatty acids, Butyrate, not only provides most of the energy to maintain a healthy gut wall, but it also regulates cell growth and differentiation. Several laboratory and human studies support its role in helping reduce colon
cancer risk.

Certain microbes present in the human gut may also produce toxic by-products from food residues. For example, diets high in meat products will produce sulphur compounds, which decrease the activity of beneficial "good" bacteria, yet increasing the production of hydrogen sulphide and other possible carcinogens by sulphur-reducing bacteria.

Colon cancer is recognized as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in adults in modern Westernized communities. The study's results suggest that a diet which helps maintain the health of the colon wall is also valuable for maintaining general body health and also helps reduce heart disease.

The researchers conclude... A diet rich in fiber, especially from fresh fruit and fresh vegetables encourages the growth of good bacteria and increases production of short chain fatty acids which help reduce the risk of cancer;

A diet high in meat and fat reduces the numbers of these valuable "good" bacteria.

Further investigations have focused on a small number of bacterial species and have therefore revealed only the "tip of the iceberg" because the human colon harbours over 800 bacterial species and 7,000 different strains.

The characterization of their individual properties and metabolic activities can be expected to provide the key to colonic health and helping prevent other diseases, as further research and studies are conducted in the future.

Mind over matter, the power of positive

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:18:00 +0000

Mind over matter sounds like an equation, and it can be a balancing act. When faced with adverse health does it really make a difference to be positive? Chronic health issues are composed of good days and bad days, but could optimism make the most of the hand you’ve been dealt? If the mind controls the body what power lies within our outlook on life?

Dr. Becca Levy, from the Yale School of Public Health study of 660 people brought to light, “We found that individuals with a more positive view of aging tended to live seven-and-a-half years longer than those with more negative views of aging.” With all of the anti-aging products out there it almost seems like the world is against aging. Why would we not be proud of living all the years we have lived?

The Bucket List, a great movie in my view, focused on health adversity and living. I was truly moved by the example of mind over matter. All over the world you could give two people the same diagnosis and see two totally different forms of acceptance and life changes. One may view it as the opportunity to live the other may throw their hands in the air and surrender.

Rajan Sankaran states, “Disease is a state of being which is expressed as a mental state and as physical symptoms. The mental state is often expressed as stress. Stress does not arise from external realities (though it may seem to be that way), but from the individual way each one of us perceives our external circumstances. The truth is that the external reality is not the ‘cause’ of most of the stresses and conflicts that occur in our lives.”

Where do you begin if you already struggle with stress and negative thoughts? One day, one thought, and one observance at a time. Start with yourself, try to smile more, stop and notice something small and allow the joy to sneak in. Offer an honest compliment to someone rather than keeping it silent. There is beauty all around us in the form of a dog being walked, a funky cloud formation, a familiar scent, the sounds of laughter and finding the positive in unlikely places.

New Study Reports Olive Oil Is Valuable For Prevention of Heart Disease

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:55:00 +0000

Source Of Major Health Benefits
In Olive Oil Revealed...

Scientists have identified the constituent of olive oil that gives greatest protection from heart attack and stroke.
In a study of the major antioxidants in olive oil, Portuguese researchers showed that DHPEA-EDA, protects red blood cells from damage more than any other part of olive oil.

These recent findings provide the scientific basis for the clear health benefits that have been seen in people who regularly include olive oil in their diet.

Heart disease is caused partly by reactive oxygen, including free radicals, acting on LDL or "bad" cholesterol and resulting in hardening of the arteries. Red blood cells are especially susceptible to oxidative damage because they function as the body's transporters of oxygen.

In the study, published in "Molecular Nutrition & Food Research" researchers compared the effects of key polyphenolic compounds on the red blood cells
subjected to oxidative stress by a known free radical generating chemical.

DHPEA-EDA was the most effective and protected red blood cells even at low concentrations. The researchers say the study provides the first evidence that this compound is the major source of the health benefit associated with virgin olive oils, which contain increased levels of DHPEA-EDA compared to other oils. In virgin olive oils, DHPEA-EDA may make up as much as half the total antioxidant component of the oil.

The findings could lead to the production of "functional" olive oils specifically designed to reduce the risk of heart disease. Now that the importance of these compounds have been specifically identified , including olive oil supplements (from Virgin Olive Oil Concentrates) in the daily diet can help assure optimum concentrations of the polyphenolic - rich nutritional factors.

Experts say the human lifespan can reach 1,000 years

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 03:49:00 +0000

Immortality_3 Cambridge University geneticist Aubrey de Grey has famously stated, “The first person to live to be 1,000 years old is certainly alive today …whether they realize it or not, barring accidents and suicide, most people now 40 years or younger can expect to live for centuries.”

Perhaps de Gray is way too optimistic, but plenty of others have joined the search for a virtual fountain of youth
. In fact, a growing number of scientists, doctors, geneticists and nanotech experts—many with impeccable academic credentials—are insisting that there is no hard reason why ageing can’t be dramatically slowed or prevented altogether. Not only is it theoretically possible, they argue, but a scientifically achievable goal that can and should be reached in time to benefit those alive today.

“I am working on immortality,” says Michael Rose, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of California, Irvine, who has achieved breakthrough results extending the lives of fruit flies. “Twenty years ago the idea of postponing aging, let alone reversing it, was weird and off-the-wall. Today there are good reasons for thinking it is fundamentally possible.”

Even the US government finds the field sufficiently promising to fund some of the research. Federal funding for “the biology of ageing”, excluding work on ageing-specific diseases like heart failure and cancer – has been running at about $2.4 billion a year, according to the National Institute of Ageing, part of the National Institutes of Health.

So far, the most intriguing results have been spawned by the genetics labs of bigger universities, where anti-ageing scientists have found ways to extend live spans of a range of organisms—including mammals. But genetic research
is not the only field that may hold the key to eternity.

“There are many, many different components of ageing and we are chipping away at all of them,” said Robert Freitas at the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing, a non-profit, nanotech group in Palo Alto, California. “It will take time and, if you put it in terms of the big developments of modern technology, say the telephone, we are still about 10 years off from Alexander Graham Bell shouting to his assistant through that first device. Still, in the near future, say the next two to four decades, the disease of ageing will be cured.”

But not everyone thinks ageing can or should be cured. Some say that humans weren’t meant to live forever, regardless of whether or not we actually can.

“I just don't think [immortality] is possible,” says Sherwin Nuland, a professor of surgery at the Yale School of Medicine. “Aubrey and the others who talk of greatly extending lifespan are oversimplifying the science and just don't understand the magnitude of the task. His plan will not succeed. Were it to do so, it would undermine what it means to be human.”

It’s interesting that Nuland first says he doesn’t think it will work but then adds that if it does, it will undermine humanity. So, which is it? Is it impossible, or are the skeptics just hoping it is?

After all, we already have overpopulation, global warming, limited resources and other issues to deal with, so why compound the problem by adding immortality into the mix.

But anti-ageing enthusiasts argue that as our perspectives change and science and technology advance exponentially, new solutions will emerge. Space colonization, for example, along with dramatically improved resource management, could resolve the concerns associated with long life. They reason that if the Universe goes on seemingly forever—much of it presumably unused—why not populate it?

However, anti-ageing crusaders are coming up against an increasingly influential alliance of bioconservatives who want to restrict research seeking to “unnaturally” prolong life. Some of these individuals were influential in persuading President Bush in 2001 to restrict federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. They oppose the idea of life extension and anti-ageing research on ethical, moral and ecological grounds.

Leon Kass, the former head of Bush's Council on Bioethics, insists that “the finitude of human life is a blessing for every human individual”. Bioethicist Daniel Callahan of the Garrison, New York-based Hastings Centre, agrees: “There is no known social good coming from the conquest of death.”

Maybe they’re right, but then why do we as humans strive so hard to prolong our lives in the first place? Maybe growing old, getting sick and dying is just a natural, inevitable part of the circle of life, and we may as well accept it.

"But it's not inevitable, that's the point," de Grey says. "At the moment, we're stuck with this awful fatalism that we're all going to get old and sick and die painful deaths. There are a 100,000 people dying each day from age-related diseases. We can stop this carnage. It's simply a matter of deciding that's what we should be doing."

Make Sure You Take the Best Form of This Vital Anti-Aging Nutrient

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 03:45:00 +0000

by Dr. Al Sears

Every cell in your body depends on it for powerful antioxidant defense and energy. Hard-working organs like your heart, kidneys, and lungs depend on it to function properly. Unfortunately, as you age, your levels of it decrease and your body doesn’t get as much as it needs to maintain optimal health and vitality.

I am talking about CoQ10, one of the most powerful anti-aging nutrients your body uses. Supplementing your body’s reserves is critical for your health.

But when it comes to getting the best possible benefits from CoQ10, it’s not how much you take that matters, it’s how much that’s actually absorbed.

Ordinarily CoQ10 comes in the form of ubiquinone. Some doctors know that it has many health benefits. What they don’t always know is that in order for your body to be able to use and absorb the ubiquinone CoQ10, it first has to reduce it to its metabolite form of ubiquinol.

In fact, the best way to consume it is in the ready-to-use ubiquinol form. It used to be difficult to put ubiquinol into supplement form, but that is no longer true.

A trial study showed that people who supplemented with just 150 mg a day of ubiquinol gained 3.84 mcg/mL of CoQ10 in their blood.1 It requires 8 times more of the old ubiquinone CoQ10 to get the same levels.2,3 So, your body gets more of what it needs in smaller doses.

Ubiquinol also remains in the bloodstream far longer than ubiquinone. In fact, it leaves 66% more CoQ10 in your bloodstream after 24 hours.4

What’s also great about this new ubiquinol form is you can take it anytime. All you need is a little water. It is able to bond to water, making it more readily absorbable. In contrast, you have to take the ubiquinone form with food or fat (i.e. fish oil/cod liver oil) for it to breakdown and absorb into your bloodstream.

Here are some important things you want to keep in mind to make sure you get the best source of CoQ10.

* When choosing a supplement, you of course want it to be the newer form of CoQ10 in ubiquinol form. Make sure it’s made from the company Kaneka. They developed it, and they are the only company making it right now. We’ve arranged with Kaneka to private label their ubiquinol formula. To try it, go here now.
* The supplement for the new form of CoQ10 only comes in soft gel form. The older form comes in powder, tablets, even liquid form, and may or may not have “ubiquinone” on the label.
* For the anti-aging benefits, 50 mg of the ubiquinol CoQ10 daily is sufficient, which is what I recommend to my patients. But for therapeutic purposes, I will often prescribe up to 150 mg daily.
* You can also get a little help from your diet. One of the best sources of CoQ10 is red meat, especially organ meat. But you want to choose grass-fed beef because it’s healthier for you — it has more omega-3s, and vitamins A and E than commercial grain fed beef, and doesn’t have hormones or antibiotics.

You also want to make sure that you don’t overcook your grass-fed beef because it destroys the CoQ10. So don’t be afraid to enjoy a juicy steak that’s red in the middle.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine Benefits Both Mind and Body

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 03:42:00 +0000

For decades, elite athletes have been using acetyl-L-carnitine as a performance-enhancing nutritional supplement. This supplement is safe, legal and it works. It helps athletes perform longer at high intensity levels, and to recover more quickly after exercise. New research shows that acetyl-L-carnitine also helps those of us who aren’t training for the Olympics. That includes older people facing declines in muscle strength and endurance, and cognitive problems.

Acetyl-L-carnitine plays a crucial role in energy production in the body. When your muscles have enough acetyl-L-carnitine, they can easily burn fat or protein for energy, not just glucose. This delays muscle fatigue, decreases the accumulation of lactic acid, a byproduct of glucose metabolism, and spares glycogen, the storage form of glucose. Acetyl-L-carnitine also increases production of testosterone, which can boost muscle and bone mass, sex drive and mood — in both men and women.

Even in very old people, acetyl-L-carnitine has been shown to increase muscle mass and improve exercise performance. In one study of people 100 years or older, those taking 2,000 mg a day of acetyl-L-carnitine had almost five times more muscle mass, three times the reduction in fat, and big improvements in both physical and mental fatigue, compared to people taking a placebo. Imagine what it could do for someone a few years younger!

The acetyl component of acetyl-L-carnitine has another function — the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter vital to proper brain function and to the entire nervous system. A number of sound clinical studies have shown that acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation may help in reducing the mental decline due to aging, alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease and reduced blood flow to the brain (chronic cerebral ischemia). Although your body can convert some L-carnitine to acetyl-L-carnitine, taking the acetyl-L-carnitine version provides much more of the acetyl form, making it a better “brain food.”

See your doctor before taking acetyl-L-carnitine if you have seizure disorder, hypothyroidism or are taking an anti-clotting drug such as coumadin.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Acetyl-L-carnitine is a proven anti-aging supplement with a long track record of safety and efficacy among athletes. The brain and body benefits of acetyl-L-carnitine can be taken advantage of by men and women of all ages. Make sure that you are taking the “acetyl” form to get the best results possible.

Putting anti-aging devices to the test

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:51:00 +0000

There's a new kind of gadget that's supposed to help make you look younger. Sure sounds good, but does it work?

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute put five of these hand-held LED devices to the test.

The devices are scaled down versions of the ones you seen in spas and dermatologist offices. You direct their red or infrared light to your skin, and the light is supposed to smooth out lines and improve skin texture and tone.

"Some of these led devices are quite costly ranging in price from about $200 to $400, so we wanted to evaluate them to see whether or not they were worth the money," said Charmaine Gillespie, the institute's beauty products analyst.

With very few exceptions, the testers' fine lines and wrinkles did not change. And some testers didn't enjoy using the devices.

"It has two settings. It has, like, infrared and then another, like this really intense LED, red light setting, which really bothered my eyes," said tester Angela Diegel.

But some testers using the Evis M.D. Facial Light ($295) and the Tanda Regenerate Anti-Aging Starting Kit ($275) did see some improvement.

"While you may get some skin benefits from led devices, they're expensive and they're time consuming, and you'll probably get just as good results from a much less expensive face cream," said beauty editor Leesa Suzman.

Good Housekeeping recommends using products with retinoids, which soften fine lines and brown spots by increasing collagen production.

The editors also suggests eating foods loaded with antioxidants, such as pomegranate, green tea, and soy. Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals, which cause wrinkles and may lead to skin cancer.

5 ways to take years off your look

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:49:00 +0000

We’re all looking for the fountain of youth, trying everything we can to look and feel younger.

There are the boundless variety of products packed on store shelves, and endless spa treatments, workouts and even plastic surgery… where does it end?

Allure Magazine is helping us on this road, the editors have picked the brains of dermatologists, tested the products and narrowed down what they call the “Ten Commandments of anti-aging’.

Here are some of their suggestions:

1. Add water. Making sure your skin is hydrated is the key. When your skin gets dry it can make you look like you have more fine lines, and if you don’t moisturize your skin can’t repair itself which dermatologists say leads to more damage. So bottom line, moisturize. The Allure top picks are L’Occitane Shea Butter Ultra Rich Face Cream, Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Moisturizing Treatment, and MD Skincare Hydra-Pure Intense Moisture Cream. Make sure you apply it last, after your anti-aging products, so it doesn’t block the absorption of those ingredients.

2. Pores, pores, pores. Use pore strips. As dirt and oil accumulate on your skin over time, your pores expand to accommodate them. Dermatologists suggest using a pore strip, and cleansing with salicyclic acid wash.

3. Fats are good. Think about eating ‘good fats’ we’re talking avocados, flaxseed, fish oil, and evening primrose oil. If you also eat high anti-oxidant foods like blueberries and carrots it will do wonders for your skin.

4. Rejuvenate your skin. As you get older the natural turnover of cells slows down, and the dead skin doesn’t slough off the way it should. The experts say it is safe to use an at home peel up to twice a week depending on the sensitivity of your skin.

5. Take care of yourself and your skin will follow. We all know smoking is bad for you, it also destroys the collagen and elastin in your skin. A glass of wine is good for your hear, but too much can cause inflammation, and there is at least one school of thought to suggest eating too much sugar may affect the body’s ability to repair damaged collagen.

You can find numbers 6 – 10 in the April 2009 Allure Magazine, along with their top anti-aging creams, vitamins that energize and foods that fight wrinkles.

Genomic Study Shows Organic Skin Care Product Activates Key Anti-Aging Gene

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:48:00 +0000

A recent study using state-of-the-art genetic testing shows that an all natural skin care product called Ambra-Lift™ by Elina™ Organics activates Sirtuin-1, a key anti-aging gene. Until now only Resveratrol, a substance found in the skin of grapes and red wine, has been known to naturally stimulate Sirtuin-1 in humans. Ambra-Lift™ contains no Resveratrol.

A recent study using state-of-the-art genetic testing shows that an all natural skin care product called Ambra-Lift™ by Elina™ Organics activates Sirtuin-1, a key anti-aging gene. Until now only Resveratrol, a substance found in the skin of grapes and red wine, has been known to naturally stimulate Sirtuin-1 in humans. Ambra-Lift™ contains no Resveratrol.

The scientific study shows that Ambra-Lift™ stimulates Sirtuin-1 by using one of the latest genomic testing tools available. It's called quantitative real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and is able to imeasure genes turned "on" or "off" by skin care products like Ambra-Lift™.

The genomic test results for Ambra-Lift™ are compelling:

* Elina Ambra-Lift™ increases the expression of Sirtuin-1, a key anti-aging gene, in a statistically significant way.
* Elina Ambra-Lift™activates the expression of specific collagens, keratins and matrix genes that promote anti-wrinkle effects in a statistically significant way,
* Elina Ambra-Lift™ activates anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory genes involved in protective cellular mechanisms in a statistically significant way.
* Exposure to Elina Ambra-Lift™ produces statistically significant changes in 47 out of 91 genes tested over a 48-hour period.

Please Click here to see the complete research results.

"This genomic study demonstrates how my organic formulation interacts with the biology of the skin," says Elina Fedotova, CEO of Elina Organics. "I'm so excited to see that hard science proves that Ambra-Lift™ has definite anti-aging properties that help rejuvenate and improve the skin."

While Ambra-Lift™ contains no Resveratrol, one of its key ingredients is Baltic Amber. The healing properties of Baltic Amber have been known for ages. Roman ladies of the court used to play with it, holding it in their hands and stroking it to maintain a youthful look. In addition to Baltic Amber, Ambra-Lift™ contains other beneficial ingredients including Sea Buckthorn Oil, Soybean Lecithin Liposomes, Amino Acids, Vitamins C, A, and E; Coenzyme Q-10, and extracts of the finest organic botanicals.

"While other products may show instant lifting properties, it's mostly a temporary effect, achieved by chemicals that cause the skin to swell and stretch for a few hours," says Elina. "Elina Ambra-Lift™ uses no artificial chemicals. Its powerful blend of all natural nutrients and antioxidants, along with its patent-pending extract of Baltic Amber, provide immediate as well as long-term effects that energize cells and stimulate the skin to become more firm and supple."

Health: Anti-Aging Diet

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:46:00 +0000

Injections and creams can help women look younger. But for those who don't want to spend the money on expensive products, eating certain foods and avoiding others can help rejuvenate your look.

"Some of the foods in people's diets, like refined carbs and unhealthy fats, accelerate the aging process," said Samantha Cassetty, the Nutrition Director with Good Housekeeping.

To fight the signs of aging and slim your waistline, Good Housekeeping's Anti-Aging Diet could help.

"Our nutritionist created a meal plan to help you lose weight, create a more youthful appearance and help you stay healthy from the inside out," said Samantha.

The diet lets you eat about 1,400 calories a day. And it focuses on omega-3 rich fish, like salmon, whole grains and fruits and vegetables. Protein from foods like skinless chicken and beans is also important to keep muscle mass strong and metabolism from slowing down.

"Black bean soup is a really easy way to add protein and fiber to your diet," said Susan Westmoreland, the Food Director with Good Housekeeping.

Nuts are good snack to keep you feeling full. Berries in red wine is a low-calorie dessert with anti-aging bonuses.

"Berries are naturally rich in vitamin c and that helps improve the texture of your skin. This dish includes red wine, and red wine has a very important antioxidant called resveratrol, which helps protect the arteries," said Samantha.

The Anti-Aging Diet also recommends some supplements including a multivitamin, calcium, vitamin d and omega-3, if you don't eat fish weekly. But as always, check with your doctor before taking anything.

Immortal fiction becoming fact

noreply@blogger.com (C.L. Mazza) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Long before Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon searched Florida in vain for the fountain of youth, legends of its existence flourished. Since then, humanity's search for immortality has been similarly fruitless.

In recent years, however, what once seemed like fiction is closer to becoming fact.

Research on an enzyme called telomerase, for instance, has focused on its ability to maintain the protective "caps" at the end of chromosomes, potentially halting the process of aging.

An extensive report compiled in 2008 and published in the journal Nature concluded that the development of an anti-aging drug was a "possibility," if not a certainty.

However, the field of cybernetics may yield quicker results than medicine.

British futurologist Ian Pearson, for one, says he thinks human consciousness will be transferable to a computer by about 2050, enabling people to live indefinitely inside the bowels of a machine.

"As our knowledge of neuroscience and nanotechnology increases, we will get much better at connecting IT to our nervous systems," Mr. Pearson explains.

"By 2025, we will be able to augment memory for people with Alzheimer's. By 2035, we will see an industry rise to provide brain add-ons that increase memory, improve our senses or add processing capability, as well as picking up thoughts, relaying them to the Net and bringing answers to queries we are thinking even before we could type or vocalize them."

After that, he says, microscopic nanoparticles will come into play.

"By 2040, nanotechnology will be able to make links to individual synapses in the brain. I imagine something like a fluid full of nanoparticles could be injected into the brain, and each synapse could be monitored by our external IT."

According to Mr. Pearson, a full working replica of the brain will be possible by about 2050.

"If the computer has a model of every neuron in your brain and can pick up the activity at every synapse, then it will be possible to initiate a two-way link between your brain inside your head and the replica one in the computer, which could run far faster, possibly millions of times faster," he says.

"Gradually, your mind would reside more and more in the computer, with its enormous capability, and less and less in your head."

So what happens when the organic body wears out? Mr. Pearson claims death will be an "inconvenience but nothing more," with little perceivable difference in one's subsequent mental processes.

"After attending your funeral, you carry on life," Mr. Pearson notes dryly. "Death will no longer be a big career problem."

Fellow futurologist Peter Cochrane says he thinks immortality will happen "sooner or later," although he is less sure it will occur by 2050.

"The question here is not if, but when, and in what form?" Mr. Cochrane asserts. "Will it be a full transfer or a selective one? And will we make 'backup copies' of ourselves periodically throughout our lives?"

Whatever form the process takes, Mr. Cochrane is confident that the race is on in earnest between "in vitro" and "in silico" life.

Even the mere possibility of such technology begs the question - who gets to be immortal? Will the world be divided unfairly between mortals and immortals?

"At first, it would be extremely expensive and only a few people with lots of money could have it," Mr. Pearson says. "But after that, it would very quickly fall in price. This isn't a technology that could be kept secret by the rich. For a while there will be immortals and mortals, but it would roll out to everyone in a few decades.

"In fact, with the environmental advantages of living electronically, it might be encouraged, and it is even possible that old people 'migrate' as their bodies become a liability, by letting their bodies die off," he says.

There are practical considerations to be taken into account. How, for instance, might immortality affect a relationship or marriage? And what of those who would seek to use it for nefarious ends?

Would life even have any meaning without death?

"The answer to that question is well beyond human ability to get right," Mr. Cochrane says.

Perhaps what is needed is "a symbiosis of man and machine," he speculates, giving us "a new intelligence to contemplate and model the future."

Though few would say no to an increased life span, there are those who would shun eternal life. Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges wrote a well-known story in which those who had discovered the fountain of youth became so bored with their immortality they began a new search - for the fountain of death.

"The Epic of Gilgamesh," one of the oldest surviving works of world literature, deals in part with the quest of the Sumerian King Gilgamesh to become immortal. Eventually, he realizes he can only live forever by creating great works of culture that will outlast him.

Maybe that's what we should be aiming for; that and the "immortality" that comes from passing our genes on to our descendants.

Mr. Pearson, however, is more optimistic. If his technological vision becomes reality, he predicts "there will be areas where we will still strive for improvement, no matter how powerful our minds become. We will never be omnipotent, never gods, so frontiers won't vanish; they just get a bit more challenging."