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Slow Down Time After 40By James P. Meschino, DC, MS Have you ever wondered why arthritis, osteoporosis, dementia, cancer and heart disease risks increase as we get older? Many of the answers relate to the body's aging clock. After age 40, the body's aging clock is actually programmed to promote the slow, steady, decline, decay and deterioration of our body and mind. The reason for this seems to be that, as far as nature is concerned, once we have lived long enough to reproduce the species and have raised our children to an age at which they can begin to look after themselves, like all other species, we essentially have served our biological purpose on this planet. In the past 20-30 years, anti-aging researchers have unlocked many of the mysteries of the body's aging clock; along with this, they have realized that specific nutritional supplements can combat many of the genetic time bombs that lead to aging and increased disease risk. In addition to subscribing to a lifelong healthy diet, regular exercise, avoiding known carcinogens, taking a high-potency multiple vitamin and mineral supplement (enriched with antioxidants and a B complex,) a bone-support supplement, and an essential fatty-acid supplement (containing flaxseed, borage seed and fish oils), beginning at age 40 there are additional anti-aging supplements you should ask your doctor about. Age 40: Glucosamine Sulfate and Natural Anti-Inflammatories
At around age 40, a key enzyme (fructose-6 phosphate amide transferase) required to make glucosamine is no longer synthesized at optimal levels. The result is that the body can no longer make the amount of glucosamine necessary to maintain healthy, shock-absorbing joint cartilage. As glucosamine production declines, cartilage erosion proceeds and arthritic joints begin to appear, making us less functional and increasing the propensity for pain and inflammation as we get older. Studies have shown that supplementation with glucosamine sulfate, along with key anti-inflammatory and cartilage-stabilizing natural agents (namely MSM, bromelain enzymes and quercetin), can protect our joints from osteoarthritic changes. Without this nutrient support, you are setting the stage for certain and inevitable development of arthritic changes that are bound to decrease the quality of your life and possibly plague you with chronic pain in your retirement years, if not sooner. Age 40: Prostate-Protecting Supplements At age 40, the male prostate gland begins to more aggressively convert testosterone into a more dangerous form of testosterone known as DHT. As DHT builds up in prostate cells it causes them to replicate at a very fast rate. The net result is an enlarged prostate and a greater risk of genetic mutations, which can lead to prostate cancer. Fortunately, there are natural agents known to inhibit the build-up of DHT in the prostate. These nutrients block the 5-alpha reductase enzyme, which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), as well as blocking prostate androgen and estrogen receptors, and providing other health-promoting effects on prostate cells. As such, prostate-support nutrients acquired from a high-potency prostate supplement should be taken by all men after age 40. The supplement should contain effective doses and standardized grades of the following natural agents shown to block DHT build-up and support prostate health in other ways:
Age 45: Coenzyme Q10 and Hawthorn Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 ) is a vitamin-like substance found in every cell and is necessary to convert food into energy in aerobic metabolism (which generates 95 percent of the body's energy at rest and during light to moderate activity). Studies show that our bodies can only make optimal amounts of CoQ10 up to approximately age 20. After that, there is a decline in synthesis that starts to become significant by about age 40-45. Studies suggest that 30 mg of CoQ10 supplementation per day is required as you reach the age of 45. When our cells are unable to produce sufficient amounts of energy because of a CoQ10 deficiency state, a decline in cell function occurs that hastens the onset of accelerated aging, with an increased risk of congestive heart failure (weak heart pump), a decline in brain function, and/or a weakening of the immune system with associated increased cancer risk. More recently, we have seen that lack of CoQ10 production is a key underlying cause of Parkinson's disease, many cases of congestive heart failure and high blood pressure, and contributes to other common health problems known to be associated with aging. To be effective, CoQ10 is best taken in a combination supplement that also contains the herb hawthorn. The active ingredients in hawthorn also enhance the ability of the heart to generate energy for its pumping action. In addition, hawthorn is known to open up (dilate) the coronary arteries, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to flow to the heart muscle itself. This is of vital importance in the prevention of heart attack and angina (chest pain/discomfort) once we are over the age of 40-45. Age 50: Immune- and Detoxification-Support Nutrients At age 50, the next genetic time bomb is set off that affects our immune and detoxification systems in an adverse way. This is unfortunate, as our immune and detoxification systems work hand in hand to protect us against cancer. Studies show that unless we become proactive, this protection declines with age, largely as a result of involution of the thymus gland. As our immune system weakens and our liver enzymes become less able to clear cancer-causing agents and other impurities from our bloodstream, our risk of cancer has been shown to escalate. Additionally, a weakened immune system makes us more prone to serious, life-threatening infections. This is why older individuals often die from pneumonia, whereas younger people can fight off the infection and recover.
After age 50, taking a combination supplement containing these four natural agents (in addition to a high-potency multiple vitamin and mineral) is an important aspect of anti-aging and disease prevention that cannot be overemphasized. Age 50: Female Support Nutrients At around age 50, women should consider another anti-aging supplement to help them through the menopausal and postmenopausal years. Women now live 30 percent of their lives in the postmenopausal years and the ingestion of natural female support nutrients can help preserve more youthful function and appearance, as well as address quality-of-life issues during this challenging stage of life. Most women have heard the news that hormone replacement therapy increases risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. As such, doctors are very cautious about recommending hormone replacement to women and are advised to prescribe the lowest possible dose for the shortest period of time, in cases where menopausal symptoms are severe. The new generation of bioidentical hormones may offer women an alternative treatment in this regard, but their long-term safety still requires confirmation from large clinical trials. As a natural alternative, women should know that certain herbs have been shown to safely manage menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, insomnia, irritability, vaginal dryness, etc., in head-to-head clinical studies when tested against hormone replacement therapy. Certain herbs are extremely safe to use and, in the right combination, are reported by many of the practitioners whom I have taught to relieve menopausal symptoms in over 80 percent of cases. To help combat the effects of menopause naturally, I encourage women to take a supplement containing black cohosh, soy extract and gamma-oryzanol (a natural agent from rice bran oil used in Japan as a prescription drug to manage menopausal symptoms). These three natural agents have been show to minimize menopausal symptoms, help support bone density, maintain natural vaginal secretions, improve feeling of well-being, and provide key anti-aging effects in women 50 and older. A supplement of this kind is safe to take with any other medication and does not increase risk of internal bleeding or high blood pressure, as can occur with the use of other herbs such as don quai (angelica species), red clover and licorice. Mid-50s: Memory-Support Nutrients During our mid-50s, the brain decreases its ability to make optimal amounts of a key memory chemical (acetylcholine), which leads to failing memory as we age. A brain with sufficient acetylcholine enables you to maintain your memory, whereas a brain with deficient acetylcholine creates memory-loss problems. It's that simple. Anti-aging research has shown that several natural agents can boost the brain's ability to synthesize memory chemicals and preserve brain cell communication, even in individuals over the age of 55. These nutrients include CDP-choline, phosphatidylserine, Bacopa monnieri and huperzine A. These nutrients are so effective at raising brain levels of the memory chemical (acetylcholine) that clinical studies have shown that each of these nutrients has improved outcomes in patients suffering from compromised memory and/or other mental performance difficulties. It's important to protect your brain, in addition to your body, from decline, decay and deterioration; thus, I suggest that individuals over 54 years of age ingest a well-designed memory support supplement each day that contains meaningful doses and standardized grades of the nutrients mentioned above. A supplement of this nature can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life as they age, as left in the hands of the body's aging clock alone, we all make less acetylcholine as we age. Memory support nutrients are the only proven method to boost the brain's synthesis of acetylcholine to combat the aging process. After age 40, the body's aging clock stages-in a number of metabolic changes that increase our risk for many common degenerative diseases associated with aging. Anti-aging researchers have unlocked many of the mysteries of the aging clock in recent years, with the realization that introducing targeted nutritional supplements at critical points in our timeline can actually combat many of the genetic time bombs that lead to arthritis, congestive heart failure, prostate enlargement, prostate cancer, immune breakdown, decline in memory and other age-related maladies. Talk to your doctor for more information on how you can slow down the aging clock and stay active and vital into your golden years. Slowing Down Time: Key Anti-Aging Supplements
James Meschino, DC, MS, practices in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is the author of four nutrition books, including The Meschino Optimal Living Program and Break the Weight Loss Barrier. |
