Aging: Predetermined or Preventable?
by W. Jean Rohrer

Most of us avoid the thought of aging. What we see, read and hear about aging is frightening; progressive deterioration and degeneration with concomittant loss of independence, loss of control-of everything from our finances and living arrangements to control of body functions. Not exactly a picture to dwell on.

Yet our failure to study aging leaves us unable to protect ourselves against the ravages that can accompany the years. Every so often some reputable newspaper or magazine publishes an article on people who live healthy, productive, meaningful and enjoyable lives at 100 and beyond. These rare people are considered unusual almost freakish in their ability to avoid what most of us consider the inevitable disability of aging. These healthy oldsters are inevitably questioned about the secrets of their longevity. Their answers sound the same regardless of the area on earth from which they come: simple lives, with whole foods in moderation, exercise and meaningful work/activity, adequate pure water intake, regard for life and thoughtful consideration of the place of humans in the chain of life.

But with the all-knowing perspective of modern man, the answers of these elderly folks are blown off, discounted despite being living proof their lifestyle works! These simple lives are not modern; they don't grab the interest of generations used to glitz, glitter, more, better, faster....You get the idea.

But if modern man is so smart and his lifestyle so right, how come health care is a major and annually increasing cost for nearly all of us? Why does consistently feeling really good seem an impossible dream for most of us?

Theories of Aging

Over the years, several theories of aging have been advanced. The first, or genetic theory, states each cell has a biological clock which times the pre-programmed self-destruction.(1)

As more and more cells break down and cease to function, the organs and structures of the body fail, aging escalates, and death ensues. Another theory, that of Error/Catastrophe, believes aging results from accumulated genetic and cell damage; from the nicks and dings and exposure to toxins that occur with daily living. Again, the idea of critical mass is implied: the more damaged and non-functioning cells, the faster and greater the signs of aging and deterioration. (2)

Logically, if aging is an accumulation of insults and injuries to the body, prevention of as many of those incidents as possible, such as colds, flu, assorted illnesses, too much exposure to sun, toxins etc., should delay aging and maintain proper functioning.(3)

Oxygen, though a necessity of living, is also a very reactive substance that changes almost everything with which it comes in contact by chemical interaction. The Free-Radical theory of aging cites the chemical interaction of oxygen with cells, which damages both the cell wall and the DNA within, creating not only aging, but crippling diseases once thought to be simply part of aging.(4)

While the destruction or mutation of both cell integrity and DNA occur in many cells of the body, the effects of damage in the blood vessels and brain cause many of the symptoms we associate (and fear!) most with aging. Circulation of blood to the cells means oxygen transport. No oxygen, no cell function, regardless of location. All brain function, from the ability to solve puzzles and do mathematics, to our moods, ability to play the piano, simple coordination and interest in living, depends on adequate supplies of oxygen to the brain. As a result of intra-cellular oxidation, the signs of memory lapse and loss, confusion, depression and dementia all develop as we age and the number of injured cells increases.

Much has been written about the functioning of the immune system. Because impaired or decreased function of this vital system has been linked to multiple diseases and disorders, it is reasonable to consider the decline in immune system function a probable cause of aging.(5)

Although the function of the thymus is basically guess-timated, its known role in production of T cells warrants its consideration as a causative factor in overall aging. The basis for this belief is the fact organs decrease in weight with aging.(6) The thymus, full of zinc, which is necessary for protein synthesis and cell division, also shrinks. A healthy immune system depends on fast cell proliferation, and requires zinc to perform properly.(7) One could therefore anticipate a marked decrease in the function of the immune system as occurs in aging without an adequate external supply of zinc.

Health Care or Health Hype?

With the publication of each new theory of aging or idea for improving health, the health food/alternative medicine industry has boomed. Hereto-fore unheard of nutrients, herbs and vitamins are marketed with claims for improving health and preventing aging and disease. Some of these claims are based on scientific research or empirical folk medicine; many simply use current health fad buzzwords.
Adherents to each theory of aging loudly promote menus of dos and don'ts which will assuredly improve our health and happiness. One study of the effects of free radicals concluded that: ...if Americans took optimal amounts of beta carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E, we would save $8.7 BILLION/year from hospitalizations for heart disease and cancer alone. (9)

We are deluged daily with admonitions to avoid stress (good luck!), become vegetarians, exercise, meditate, and change our outlooks on life. Some authors recommend changing the way we deal with stress (10); others remind us of the effects of our thinking on the health of our bodies. Deepok Chopra notes that wherever thought goes, a chemical goes as well; when our thoughts are negative or depressed, our physical being is also adversely affected.(11)

And there is no end to those who associate the eating of meat with ultimate, if not immediate, doom. One author states the aging effect that some foods have on your body has been described as internal radiation...which compromises the immune system through free-radical formation, and victims become far more susceptible to cancer, arteriosclerosis and stroke all diseases associated with aging. The same author further states, the more animal you eat, the more aging and disease.(12) (Hardly an advertisement for the beef industry!)

Information Overload or Ignorance?

Unfortunately, most of us are ignoring the available information, unable or unwilling to change our lifestyles, or so confused by conflicting reports of effects of products we cannot make the rational decisions which really could help improve our health and delay the aging process.

1970s research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated 49.1% of the US population had one or more chronic conditions.(13) That is an astonishing number! And those numbers have not decreased. Despite our preoccupation with health and proper nutrition, despite increasingly sophisticated (and expensive!) medical care in the last quarter century, the situation has not improved.

A recent article in the Weight Watchers of Maine Spring 1996 newsletter, Weigh To Go, indicates One third of the population of the United States over the age of 20 is obese, i.e. at least 20% above their desirable weight. This figure constitutes a dramatic increase in obesity during the last two decades. (Italics are mine.) We are killing ourselves with our knives and forks! And this despite increasing recommendations not just to avoid fats, but to decrease our total nutritional intake as well.(14,15,16)
And there is evidence that many, if not all, chronic conditions result from the same factors or agents as aging itself. Free radicals are now known to be involved with cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and perhaps as many as 80 diseases not caused by germs.(17)

By now some of you have decided to chuck the whole thing since you are going to die of something anyway. True. But wouldn't it be nice to die quietly and comfortably after a full, healthy, happy life? Unfortunately, that is not happening to many of us. Each of us can improve our own chances of living a healthier, more fulfilling and happier life. We can take responsibility for our own health. There are some factors which won't hurt, even if they have no scientifically proven results. Many factors have undergone clinical trials or are proven by empirical folk medicine.

Food

Cells are the building blocks of the body. Each is a tiny factory with numerous functions and truly incredible abilities. Like all factories, cells require energy food. The kinds of nutrients we supply determines if the cells produce energy and perform their special functions appropriately, or if they are damaged by poor quality raw materials so they either perform their designated function poorly, overgrow into tumors, or rust from oxidation.

1. By decreasing meat, avoiding margarine totally, lowering our intake of fried and processed foods, getting rid of processed sugar, we can seriously decrease our exposure to debility.(18)

2. Employing digestive enzymes and friendly bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophyllus, and using "fiber" foods instead of laxatives (19) can aid in the body's assimilation of nutrients and elimination of waste products.

3. Determining food sensitivities and allergens and avoiding them can markedly improve your overall health.(20) The so-called green super foods, such as barley, wheat and alfalfa greens, spirulina and blue green algae, provide antioxidants galore, providing protection against cancers and arthritis as well as other diseases.(21)

4. Chlorophyll helps decrease the acid in the body which is the leading cause of osteoporosis. The mechanism is due to the body drawing calcium from bones to buffer acid. (22)

One author cites the use of black sesame mixed to a paste with honey for slowing aging and extending life.(23) Balance of nutrition appears of major concern, since inadequate or suboptimal diet can often lead to defective body metabolism.(24)

Vitamins/supplements

The use of vitamins A (as beta-carotene), C and E is widely regarded as the foundation of antioxidant therapy, recommended not only as preventative for aging, but also as prevention of chronic degenerative diseases, including cancer, heart disease and arthritis. (25,26) - The mechanism may be due to an increase in the cells resistance to oxidation, since research by Dr. Yukie Niwa, a proponent of the free-radical theory, has proven the addition of antioxidants to cells did not decrease the number of free radicals produced.(27)

Beta-carotene, found in yellow and orange foods, protects the mucous membranes of the respiratory system,from the mouth to the lungs. Vitamin C decreases the effects of allergens, also protecting A, E and some of the B complex vitamins from oxidation.(28)

The brain and nervous system have special needs for vitamin C; the level of ascorbic acid in cerebral spinal fluid is higher than in blood plasma.(29) A double blind study of vitamin C and placebo using psychiatric patients over 6 days showed statistically significant improvement in depressive, manic and paranoid symptoms; improved personality function in those receiving the vitamin C.(30) Controlled studies have shown behavioral changes are likely to be among the consequences of marginal vitamin deficiency, and noted increased hypochondriasis, depression and hysteria.(31)

Vitamin E, while protecting vitamins B and C, unites with oxygen,(O2), preventing the formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); it acts as an anti pollutant for the lungs.32 Along with selenium, E helps decrease mortality from ischemic heart disease and cancer. There is an inverse correlation between the levels of E/selenium and death rate from these diseases.

While some people adhere to the if a little good, more is better theory, caution should be employed in the dosage of antioxidants, as one author indicates mega doses of beta-carotene, C and E, while not necessarily harmful, can cause fatigue.(33)

Herbs

Herbs are finally beginning to receive respect even from the allopathic medical community, as more clinical research is proving their effectiveness when no allopathic drugs work.

One of the most studied and employed herbs is Ginkgo biloba. Poor blood flow to the brain is one chief cause of decreased alertness. Ginkgo is frequently used to improve short term memory and restore alertness.(36) Ginkgo, given as GBE (Ginkgo biloba extract), enhances memory and brain performance, guards heart activities, rejuvenates the circulation; it improves the cognitive abilities, alertness and attention span.(37) One of ginkgo major effects is to increase blood flow throughout the body, especially the brain. It also helps prevent damage from free-radicals.(38) What a marvelous plant! One author cited the work of herbalist Amanda McQuade: One study of patients between the ages of 60 and 80 with senile dementia showed measurable improvement in as little as 8 weeks.(39)

Ginkgo has been shown to reduce anxiety tension, headaches, vertigo, symptoms of senility, senile dementia, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), visual problems, Alzheimer's, peripheral blood disorders such a Raynauds disease and other conditions.(40)
In a double blind study, 90% of participants receiving ginkgo showed improvement in 3 weeks, with particular effect on disturbances of short-term memory, mental awareness and dizziness; superior effect was reported against headaches and tinnitus.(41)
Another clinical double-blind study of patients with cerebral vascular insufficiency used a battery of psychological tests to evaluate progress/effectiveness of ginkgo. The difference between GBE and a placebo in the cube test, work recognition, Rey Figure Test and memory performance test are significant. Based on the psychological test battery, GBE effects a distinct improvement in memory efficiency, logical thinking and vigilance.(42)

Gotu kola has received its share of accolades from the medical profession as well. It is considered to have diverse capabilities, from promoting healing, and decreasing scarring,(43) to stimulating circulation and treating disorders of the nervous system.(44)
Gotu kola is a mental stimulant and memory enhancer,(45) and its diuretic effect along with the improvement it causes in circulation is believed to cleanse the body of toxins which may contribute to depression.(46) It is used for brain food, longevity, mental fatigue, poor vitality, senility, and valued for treating depression, blood diseases and mental weakness.(47)
Some authors consider gotu kola the main revitalizing herb for the nerves and brain cells, increasing intelligence, improving longevity and memory, decreasing senility and aging. The same source states gotu kola is considered the most spiritual of all herbs.(48)

Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolium, or ginseng and American ginseng, are used in all deficiency diseases; considered helpful for convalescence, debility and weakness in old age. It also, according to one source, increases wisdom, promotes longevity and increases resistance to disease.(49) With a reputation as a rejuvenator, (50) ginseng is probably the first herb most people think of when a tonic is required. Ginseng has been found to stimulate long and short term memory; it stimulates the adrenal cortex, improves the ability to remember, accelerates learning and regulates brain activity.(51) Siberian ginseng has shown to improve the sense of well-being in depression, insomnia, hypochondriasis, and various neuroses thought due to increased monoamine oxidase in the brain. (52)

What is Your Plan?
This is merely a minor listing of the available, mainly proven nutritional substances and herbs which may assist in delaying or preventing the symptoms of advancing age.
Choline, lecithin and DHAE are among the other possibilities, as are a number of other herbs. Additionally, the use of nutrition and supplemental foods is proven most useful when employed with other lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, (53) and exercising regularly every day, to increase strength, improve circulation and increase bone mass and density. (54,55)
Drinking a lot of (mineral) pure water keeps the cells refreshed by carrying off the toxic waste products.

Many factors are involved in creating and maintaining a healthy body/mind/spirit. Unlike cookbook medicine, where all people with the same set of symptoms get the same treatment, self-care is a process of learning about yourself, about what is available, trying out different methods, products, and fashioning a system you can live with. Because if it does not make sense to you, you won't do it/use it, and you won't get the results you really want.

Nothing is the panacea for everyone, but the laws of physics require an equal positive for every negative, so there must be something that works for you. By creating your own exercise, nutritional, herbal and supplement regimen, and making lifestyle changes that work for you, you can maximize your health and improve your resistance to debilitation in aging.

Good health, long life and prosperity!

Footnotes:
1 James Marti with Andrea Hine, The Alternative Health & Medicine Encyclopedia (Detroit, MI, Visible Ink Press, 1995) pps. 299-301.
2 Ibid., pps. 299-301.
3 Linus Pauling, How to Live Longer and Feel Better (New York, Avon Books, 1986) pps. 293-297.
4 Richard A. Passwater, Ph.D., The Free-Radical Theory of Aging: An interview with Dr. Denham Harman Part I: How it all began, Whole Foods, March 1995, p. 56.
5 James Marti with Andrea Hine, The Alternative Health & Medicine Encyclopedia, (Detroit, MI, Visible Ink Press, 1995) pps.299-301.
6 Ibid., pps 299-301.
7 Prevention Magazines Complete Book of Vitamins and Minerals, (Emmaus, PA, Rodale Press, 1988) p.483.
8 Ibid., pps. 484-485.
9 Richard A. Passwater, Ph.D., The Free-Radical Theory of Aging: An Interview with Dr. Denham Harman Part I: How it all began, Whole Foods (March 1995) p.58.
10 Laurel Vukovic, Aging Gracefully, Natural Health, August 1993, p. 86.
11 Deepok Chopra, MD, Slowing Down the Aging Process, Natural Health, January/February 1994, p. 58.
12 Dr. Marcus Laux, Good Health Through Age 120 in Dr. Marcus Lauxs Naturally Well, (Potomac, MD 1995) pps. 31-32.
13 C. Edith Weir, Benefits from Human Nutrition Research, (Washington, DC, USDA, 1971) p. 60.
14 Deepok Chopra, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind (New York, Harmony Books 1993) p. 212.
15 Andrew H. Y. Kim, Discover Natural Health (Panorama City, CA, Kims Publishing 1988) p. 238.
16 Paavo Airola, ND, How To Get Well (Phoenix, AZ, Health Plus Publishers, 16th Printing 1990), pps. 147-149.
17 "The Free-Radical Theory of Aging: Part I, p. 56.
18 Dr. Marcus Laux, Good Health Through Age 120, pps. 31-35.
19 Laurel Vukovic, Aging Gracefully, Natural Health, August 1995, pps. 92-96.
20 Ibid., pps.92-96/
21 Dr. Julian Whitaker, Dr. Julian Whitakers Health and Healing, April 1996, pps. 1-3.
22 Ibid., pps. 2-3. 23Discover Natural Health, p
23 8.
24 Donald D. Wolf, editing director, The New Illustrated Medical Encyclopedia and Guide to Family Health, (Medbook Publications, Inc., 1988) p. 32.
25 "The Free-Radical Theory of Aging: And interview with Dr. Denham Harman Part I: How it all began, pps. 58-59/
26 Dr. Julian Whitaker, Dr. Julian Whitakers Health and Healing, April 1996, pps. 1-3.
27 Ageless Body Timeless Mind, p. 122.
28 Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., Earl Mindells Vitamin Bible (New York, Warner Books, Inc., 1991) pps. 66-67.
29 Dr. Emanuel Cheraskin, et al., The Vitamin C. Connection (New York, Harper and Row Publishers, 1983) p. 160-161.
30 Ibid., p. 164.
31 Ibid., pps. 163-164.
32 Earl Mindells Vitamin Bible, pps. 66-67.
33 Jack Challam, Are You Overdoing Antioxidants? Natural Health, May/June 1995, pps. 56-58.
34 Earl Mindells Vitamin Bible, p. 288. 35Ibid., p 67.
36 Dian Dincin Buchman, Ph.D., Herbal Medicine, (Avenel, NJ, Value Publishers, Inc. 1996), p. 122.
37 Ibid., p. 44..
38 Hans Kugler, Ph.D., et al., Life Extenders and Memory Boosters (Reno, NV, Health Quest Publications 1993), p. 210.
39 Michael Tierra, CA, ND., The Way of Herbs, (Pocket Books, New York 1990), pps. 169-171.
40 Ibid., pps. 170-171.
41 Melvin R.Werbach, MD, and Michael T. Murray, ND, Botanical Influences on Illness: A sourcebook of clinical research (Tarzana, CA, Third Line Press 1994), p. 120.
42 Ibid., 121.
43 D. Paul Barney, MD, Clinical Applications of Herbal Medicine (Pleasant Grove, UT, Woodland Publishing, Inc. 1996), p. 14.
44 Ibid., p. 67.
45 Ibid., p. 149.
46 Ibid., p. 163.
47 Humbart Santillo, ND, Natural Healing with Herbs (Prescott, AZ, Hohm Press, 10th printing 1993), p. 128.
48 Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad, The Yoga of Herbs (Santa Fe., NM, Lotus Press 1986), pps. 170-171.
49 Michael Tierra, CA, ND, Planetary Herbology (Sante Fe., NM, Lotus Press 1986), pps. 293-294.
50 How To Get Well, p. 147.
51 Life Extenders and Memory Boosters, pps. 213-214.
52 Biological Influences on Illness: A sourcebook of clinical research, p. 137.
53 Greg Beaubin, Why Get Old?, The Natural Way, August/Septem-ber1995, p. 26.
54 Robert J. Willix, Jr., MD, 3 Minutes a Day to 120 Year life Span, (Baltimore, MD, Dr. Willixs Health for Life, LLC 1994), p. 24-25.
55 Discover Natural Health, p. 236

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