The Real Fountain of Youth:The Advances in Longevity, Aging, and Improved Life

For eons myths spoke of a fountain that promised youth and immortality to whomever's lips were able to find its source. What most of us didn't realize is that this "story" has more science behind it than we imagined.New studies looking at aging believe that aging is tied to quality and quantity of life directly. New studies out of Harvard/MIT point out that improved metabolism via caloric restriction in your diet is key to longevity and to better aging, reduction in stress and chronic disease. Rat studies proved that 2 central genes in Aging called SIRT1/SIRT2 which control enzymes can determine how long you live.But other nutritional factors such as NAD a nicotinamide nutrient effects these genes, too. Other direct effects on aging include Polyphenols, specifically Resveratrol. This antioxidant is found in grapes and processed in wine. Other notable polyphenols are in Green Tea. Researchers are looking at the antibiotic Ramycin and how it inhibits enzymes TOR-kinase to increase longevity.
The latest discovery is looking at the special terminal ends of DNA molecules called Telomers. The longer one's Telome the longer one seems to live. But, the longer Telomer is associated with less chronic disease and the cells live longer.
Another area that appears to be promising is with growth hormone, but there seemed to be concern about synthetic or bovine growth hormone a genetically modified organism (GMO) that brought about controversy about its potential health side effects. The fact is that growth hormone is in itself a natural occuring product that is necessary and made by the human organism. As we age , growth hormone severely dwindles. This phase of life has been called "Somato-Pause" unlike other hormones decreases found in menopause with estrogen, Somato-pause is the lack of growth hormone.Human growth hormone/hGH , however, has shown some promising potential.But , where it shows greatest promise is not with injecting it or "supplement growth hormone", but rather in enhancing instrinsic release factors and other activities that naturally can raise your own levels of Gh/growth hormone.
As GH diminishes we see more gray hair, higher body fat,decreased libido, cardiovascular disease, thinning of skin, reduced lean muscle mass, increased cholesterol,depression, moodiness, dehydration and osteoporosis.
What are the positive effects of GH? Improved lean muscle mass, decrease in body fat, reduces wrinkles, increases energy, restores hair, increases libido, improves liver and pancreas function, normalizes blood pressure, improved heart function, improved bone growth, and improved cognitive function as well as mood.
There are several natural and nutrient factors that can improve your GH/growth hormone output.Estrogen, testosterone,ornithine, arginine,niacin,VitaminB5, Vitamin B6, alpha keto-glutarate, glutamine, tyrosine,Gamma Amino Butyric acid(GABA) fasting and exercise are factors that enhance GH.Other regulators of GH secretion are minerals such as Zinc,calcium, magnesium, and postassium.Your blood PH and the neruotransmitter acetylcholine/ACH and L-Dopa have influences on GH.Even better sleep patterns improves growth hormone secretion.
It seems that longevity can be improved without a doubt even if only by 50% by the latest scientific research regarding SIRT1 & 2 . But what real advancementS have we made when long life comes without improved quality of life? It will be a combination of these things mentioned here to get the most of your body's potential to live longer and to live better. Youth is still to a degree "just a number" and may be related to how you feel, how much you eat,what you eat, how active you are, what minerals and amino acids you take,and if you get adequate sleep. Until then there are no "magic bullets" and at last glance no fountains of youth except your own well of potential.

The Apparent Direct Link of Cancer With Industrialization

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There has been many different ideas and theories over the years about how and why does cancer occur in our society. Before the Industrial age it was rarely either seen or recognized as most of society saw a shorter lifespan or were fraught with many epidemics that wiped out populations. Cancer only became more recognized as we became more industrial, more urban and as populations grew. With new industries and therefore new exposures both in the environment and to our households newer changes began popping up .What did the mass introduction and commercialization of tobacco fumes, car exhaust and 8 hour work days in a factory do to change the human organisms way of life ? How did preservation of foods with high salt, high nitrites,or the introduction of MSG, aspartame, EDTA, Sucralose, Saccharin, high fructose corn syrup and Red dye No.5, artificial food coloring and other preservation methods of food do to contribute to changes not in our life and health? Does it mean that it is acceptable that we live longer , but just with more ailments?

Scientist as early as the 1930's such as Otto Warburg began to look at imbalanced metabolism. Since the body is constantly trying to acquire energy to perform functions, it would seem stressors on metabolism cause cells to change.Warburg, a Noble Laureate, posed that when our cells go from combusting basic nutrients in the presence of oxygen to a non-oxygen(non-aerobic) state of acquiring energy, we change our blood chemistry.Blood becomes more acidic. Therefore , by making the PH of blood more Alkaline which now has become widely accepted in nutrition science circles as a means to better health. Our body creates acids like lactate and pyruvate, but at very minimal amounts without there being adequate oxygen; while in the face of Oxygen a very high output of energy is created. Lactic acid may be the culprit because it makes the body work that much harder. Other more ineffective and highly toxic acids can also be put into the blood when there is lack of adequate oxygenation. Acids such as Keto-Acids/Acetone are fatty acids that become the subsrate of energy. What this means is how we exercise physically , handle stress,and what we eat can have quantitative and qualitative effects on cellular life.


Today we are seeing how the oxidation of fats play a critical role in causing a disease state. The oxidation of cholesterol , particularly LDL, creates the scarring on the blood vessels setting up for atherosclerosis in the arteries and later heart attack and other forms of vascular disease. The oxidation and perioxidation of oygen leads to the creation of "free radicals" that cause mutations in the DNA of cells, premature aging and chronic disease. The emissions of combusting fuel is similar to that of a car's engine. Our cells work like engines and put out numerous potentially toxic by-products. Antioxidants act as ways to release these potentially threatening caustic agents.

Today stress plays a key role in our mental and physical health by reducing resistance. Stress hormones such as cortisol is a counter-regulatory hormone which can dump more sugar into the blood this is very bad for setting up the pre-diabetic state or type 2 diabetes ,but it also has an immuno-suppressive effect so that you are more susceptible to infections and other disease. The salt and water retention it causes raises blood pressure. Stress hormones like adrenalin can really raise your blood pressure and cause the heart to beat faster and harder. The shear forces of high blood force on blood vessels may set up for athersclerosis and greater difficulty for the heart to pump.
How do we make sense out of the rapid rise of chronic illness in an amazingly highly technologically advanced civilization where we've conquered space, travel the world within hours and split the atom? How is it with the scientific data proving this link of disease to industry that we are still utilizing pesticides, herbicides, insecticides,fungicides, genetically modified foods, bGH, estrogen, antiobiotics, high fructose corn syrup, saccharin, sucarlose, artificial dyes , food coloring ,irradiation microwaved,with trans fats. Cooked foods are full of acrilimide, PAHs(para-aminohydrocarbons), and HCAs(Heterocyclic Amines). Our Sea Food is now effected by VOCs,PAHs, and Mercury .Even our water has acceptable levels of run off from manufacturing plants , raw sewage, old drugs, and flouride. Non-ionized radiation from cell telephone lines presents another problem to our health as well.

As we advance with further technology, human life becomes more exposed to the result of that which we create. It's probably less important to guess which of these theories of cancer are happening more likely than the other, however, it is time the individual themselves attacks the problem from a cellular level. This can be done by antioxidants to fight the damage done by oxygen free radicals,vitamins refortify the body's defense, hydration with water allows for better blood flow while giving ions to function on a cellular level. Minerals participate in all catalytic or biochemical reactions and are necessary for metabolism. Enzymes are helping us from the moment we digest our foods to carrying or converting particles to more effective products. These can be obtained by eating more raw vegetables,fruits or an organic diet.

While molecular medicine and procedure oriented medicine seeks more bio-medical technology to treat problems created inadvertently by our industries, perhaps we need to seriously re-evaluate the advantages a more simple agrarian diet our pre-industrial ancestors benefited from a greener "way of living". We must look at how to appreciate and "incorporate" their quality of life.