Tips for Creating Your Own Fountain of Youth

The Fountain of Youth has been a legend for centuries, supposedly able to restore youth and vigor to anyone who drinks from it. It reportedly caused the explorer Ponce de Leon to discover Florida – his voyage was a quest to discover the Fountain of Youth.

To date of course, no one has discovered a real Fountain of Youth. However, what has happened is that most of us are now living longer than ever before. What everyone wants is to translate that extended life into one that is healthy and vigorous. Some people use plastic surgery to remain youthful looking, but that is simply a superficial change.

Although we consider ourselves to have an expected “lifespan” we are not actually programmed to last for any specific period of time. In theory at least, we could live for much longer than we do, but in practice that does not happen. But there are methods that allow us to retard the aging process and remain vital and active. The aging process is inevitable, but its physical effects can be slowed.

Using Diet

Before beginning it should be pointed out that many methods have been used to positive effect on animals. However, their value on humans remains unproved. In part, this is because an adequate experiment would take decades rather than years.

The modification of diet, in which total caloric intake is reduced while ensuring that the nutritional supply of minerals and vitamins is maintained, has been proven to be a successful technique for extending lifespan in animals.

In some instances this has increased the active, normal lifespan by 300 percent. At the same time, it has resulted in a decrease in aging related diseases, including autoimmune disease and cancer. In ‘The Retardation of Aging by Dietary Restriction’, written in 1988, Charles Thomas suggested that these advantages could extend to humans.

Given that 40 percent of all cancers are due to aging, using dietary measures to prevent them becomes extremely desirable, and can result in an extended and healthier lifespan. This can be achieved in much the same way that one would reduce the levels of cholesterol in the body; namely by reducing the intake of meat, fat, and refined carbohydrates, while simultaneously increasing the intake of vegetables and fresh fruit and complex carbohydrates.

This needs to be a conjoined strategy with caloric reduction diets, since caloric reduction is the only method proven to extend life in all species on which it has been tried. It has the effect of lowering the metabolic rate, which in turn reduces the body’s core temperature, and has a corollary effect of reducing oxidation activity in the body. The overall result is a lessening of the risks associated with age-related diseases, and the possibility of those already in the body vanishing.

Experiments that have kept animals on low tryptophan diets have also been very effective, almost to the same degree as calorie restriction diets. Tryptophan is a protein based amino acid that is used to synthesize serotonin in the body.

Serotonin accumulates in the human body as it ages, and a high-protein diet will accelerate the production of serotonin. L-dopa, a drug used successfully to treat Parkinson’s disease, also suppresses the excess build up of serotonin (it has caused women past the age of menopause to begin ovulating again). However, there is no evidence to indicate that L-dopa alone can increase lifespan.

Amino Acids

Amino acid supplements stimulate the production of the growth hormone by the pituitary gland, and have been advocated since the 1980s. In 1990, one study involved injecting elderly males with growth hormone, resulting in positive health benefits.

Negative Ions

A number of items associated with modern life increase the production of positive ions (such as smoking, central heating, and even television). Positive ions encourage increased production of serotonin by the nervous system.

Using ionizers, which produce negative ions, can help counteract this by reducing the serotonin build-up. Ionizers are readily available in stores.

GH3

All human bodies contain the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO), which exists to keep the levels of some neurohormones in check. Aging produces increased levels of MAO, which can be limited by the use of prescribed MAO inhibitors, the most successful of which is GH3 – which is claimed to have anti-aging potential.

Studies on animals have shown that GH3 slows the aging process in cells when it is added. By itself it does not extend lifespan, but it does appear to retard the aging process. This is not the same result, of course, but can still warrant inclusion on an ardent program to seek a Fountain of Youth.

Nucleic Acid Therapy

Since the 1970s, the use of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) to encourage extended life has been encouraged by some – the claim is that an increase in lifespan of 30 to 50 percent in animal studies has been achieved with nucleic acid therapy.

The person behind nucleic acid therapy, Dr. Benjamin Frank, has claimed that RNA derived from food and supplements, once combined with amino acids, sugars, and metabolically associated B vitamins, will cause “normal enzyme synthesis and activation” once it enters the cell. It encourages adenosine triphosphate production, which brings about cell function that is more efficient, and can even cause regeneration.

RNA can be found in a number of foods, notably lentils and chickpeas, along with various seafood (oysters, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies), as well as in brewer’s yeast and animal liver. The suggestion is that these sources are supplemented with commercially available DNA/RNA tablets, using a dose of 100 to 200 milligrams every day.

The benefits of nucleic acid therapy should begin within two months, and include improved strength and fewer wrinkles. Notably, a calorie reduction diet includes many of the foods used in nucleic acid therapy. The benefits are very similar to those of a calorie reduction diet.

In conclusion, there are several avenues to explore that can have the effect of not just lengthening life, but also making that extra time more active and vital, as well as possibly reversing some of the effects of aging on the body. Although no Fountain of Youth exists, the quality of physical life can be enhanced and optimized.

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Is Lifestyle the Key to Cognitive Function?

Recent research indicates that certain lifestyle factors can play a significant role in the retention of cognitive function over time. For individuals who wish to take proactive steps to retain mental prowess as they age, recent research points to a number of key areas in which to focus efforts for optimal results.

Muscle Strength Linked to Brain Function

In November of 2009, researchers from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago published a study in the ‘Archives of Neurology’, which indicated that maintaining muscle strength may aid in the retention of cognitive functionality over time.

The study followed men and women aged 54 and 100 over a four year period, testing muscle strength and brain function, and concluded that patients who demonstrated continued strength also retained the highest cognitive functioning.

Dwindling Social Lives can Cause Cognitive Decline

These results are an interesting adjunct to those of an earlier study conducted by the same research group which examined the correlation between a decline in cognitive function and decreased social activity, finding that a diminishing social life may adversely impact motor skills.

Dr. Aron S. Buchman of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center said the study demonstrated that a decrease of just one point on the social activity scale produced a cognitive decline equal to that created by five years of the aging process.

Lifestyle Elements Important for Brain Function

The studies bear out the accepted wisdom that in order to retain ones mental faculties, individuals must pay attention to balance in their lifestyle. Key areas on which efforts should be focused include:

*Programs of physical exercise, which can help retain muscle strength and therefore have positive implications for the retention of mental function.

*A balanced and active social life, which is proven to help combat the effects of aging on cognitive function.

As with many other areas of health and aging, the key to keeping performance at an optimum level would seem to lie in achieving a balance of work and play, albeit maintaining an appropriate nutritional intake also appears (unsurprisingly) beneficial.

Nutritional Approach to Optimum Cognitive Function

Nutritionists have long extolled the virtues of key dietary elements in fighting age related degeneration, and cognitive function is no exception. When taking a holistic approach to the retention of both physical and mental prowess, certain dietary elements and supplements should not be ignored. A balanced diet is vital in retaining both mental and physical strength and should be supplemented with a premium quality multivitamin to ensure that deficiencies are avoided.

Antioxidants: Weapons Against Cognitive Degeneration

Antioxidants such as alpa lipoic acid, or ALA, and acetyl L-carnitine, or ALC, are widely believed to be powerful tools in the fight against age related mental degeneration, and should be a component in a premium quality multivitamin complex. Additionally, the soy-sourced supplement phosphatidylserine has been qualified by the FDA as a possible weapon in the fight against dementia.

Can We Retain Cognitive Function?

While no one single factor can definitively insure against the age related decline of mental faculties, studies would seem to show that combining careful lifestyle and nutritional choices can offer significant protection against the loss of cognitive function. UltraFitnessDynamics

Can Exercise Combat Aging?

While it is a well-known maxim that eating healthily and taking part in physical activities are two of the best ways to maintain health, is it possible that sustaining a regular exercise routine could actually slow the aging process?

A recent study printed in ‘Circulation’, the journal of the American Heart Foundation, appears to indicate that regular exercise may well be at least one aspect of a fountain of youth.

Aging Protection in the Genes

Research conducted at Saarland University’s Department of Internal Medicine in Homburg, Germany determined that long-term exercise appeared to aid the retention of genetic protection against cell damage associated with age. The study compared the cells of professional athletes with those of healthy non-smoking individuals who did not indulge in regular exercise and found that the telomeres – an element of DNA that prevents age related damage to chromosomes – were better preserved in the bodies of the athletes.

Telomeres may be likened to bookends, which help a cell to retain its integrity during and after the ongoing process of cell division. As individuals age, their cells face a greater risk of damage from the sheer number of divisions performed over time. However, the telomeres are believed to perform in the same fashion as the hard plastic at the end of a shoelace, capping the cell at either end and preventing the unraveling effect of age.

Enzyme Key to Retention of Youth

As a result of the study, researchers concluded that the sustained exercise regime of the athletes had stimulated the production of a protective enzyme that helped to maintain the integrity of anti-aging DNA. The results bear out the long-held theory that physical exertion is one key to the maintenance of heart health. Indeed, the lead author of the study, Dr. Ulrich Laufs, noted that the evidence was proof of the youth-retaining possibilities of a continued exercise regime.

“This is direct evidence of an anti-aging effect of physical exercise. Physical exercise could prevent the aging of the cardiovascular system, reflecting this molecular principle. Our data improves the molecular understanding of the protective effects of exercise on the vessel wall and underlines the potency of physical training in reducing the impact of age-related disease.”

Steps to Prevent the Aging Process

Thus the message for those wishing to retain their youth would seem to be clear, and there are a number of proactive steps that may be taken to prevent the impact of aging on the body. Lifestyle choices are paramount for health, thus ensuring a balanced nutritional intake, perhaps augmented by the addition of a premium multivitamin supplement, antioxidant supplements and probiotics, in addition to a consistent exercise regimen, must be on the menu as well.

Starting and maintaining a regime of physical exertion can slow the aging process and reduce the risk of health issues and disease so often associated with the very fact of age itself.

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Probiotics and Eczema

By this point in time almost everyone who has a passing interest in health and fitness understands the importance of probiotics. Probiotics are defined by the FAO/WHO as live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. The most common types of microbes used in probiotics are lactic acid bacteria, as well as certain types of yeast and bacilli.
Probiotics are most commonly consumed as part of various fermented foods that have active live cultures, such as yogurt, and also via various dietary supplements. They are especially influential on a healthy digestive system, and many individuals take probiotics supplements after using antibiotics to replace the beneficial flora bacteria that were destroyed by the use of the antibiotic in question.

The use of probiotics has become so commonplace that most medical professionals are recommending probiotics both during and after the use of any type of antibiotics. However, a recent Dutch study showed the potential for probiotic benefits reaching beyond simply the replacement of intestinal flora, especially in regards to helping build the immune system's resistance to allergies affecting the skin. In this specific case the study looked at the skin's reaction to eczema. The Dutch study examined 150 pregnant women who had some form of history relating to allergies in their family background, and during the last six weeks of pregnancy gave them either three strains of probiotics or an inactive placebo, with neither the women nor the doctors having knowledge of which group received the active cultures.
After the women gave birth, the Dutch researchers monitored their children, with the children continuing to receive either probiotics or placebos for 12 months. What the researchers noticed was that after three months the rate of eczema decreased drastically among those children using probiotics: less than half the number of cases versus those who were using placebos. After 12 months no placebos or probiotics were administered, and all of the children continued to be observed until two years of age. There was a substantial difference in allergenic responses between children who had been given a placebo, and children who had been given probiotics. The study was published in the Journal of Allergy.

Another recent study took a look at probiotics administered to mice, focusing specifically on allergic responses to food. This study was published in the Journal of Nutrition, and focused on mice that had some form of whey intolerance. They were fed probiotics and prebiotics while drinking milk, eventually showing considerable improvement in regards to their food allergies, culminating in almost no skin reaction whatsoever.

Considering the fact that in today's world up to 8% of all children present with some forms of various chronic food allergies, the benefits of such studies trending towards finding a natural remedy for these children in addressing their allergies is extremely important. It is yet another of the many ways that probiotics are increasingly being viewed as a powerful natural agent for individuals of all ages to maintain optimal health, not just effective digestion.

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How Safe Are Your Cosmetics?

The cosmetics industry is one that has long been known to dabble in the realm of borderline-acceptable ingredients with respect to their products. In many ways, it is analogous to the food industry and the international debate as to which particular food additives various countries consider to be acceptable. The European Union bans certain additives, which the United States may accept, and vice versa. As respects the cosmetic industry, the role of toxins—real or potential—that are utilized in commercial cosmetic products are a cause of concern, or at least scrutiny. For example, many fragrances contain various types of additives that may potentially be harmful. Dr. Samuel Epstein, author of Toxic Beauty, and chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, believes that the cosmetic industry might be (knowingly or unknowingly) poisoning its users simply for the purposes of more easily generating revenue, and he is determined to rectify the situation.

Additives
In particular, Dr. Epstein has publicly criticized Avon—one of the largest and most influential cosmetic companies in the world—for their use of what he considers harmful toxins in many of their products. This is despite the fact that Avon has openly called for the National Cancer Institute to create a computerized program to research and track incidents of breast cancers to determine whether or not cosmetic products play a causative role in the development of such cancers. Many professionals in the industry consider the NCI to be more style than substance, and indeed a ‘font’ used by the additive industry to placate the public, a debatable claim to be sure.

What is known is that the cosmetic industry as a whole, with very few exceptions, relies heavily upon preservatives. According to Dr. Epstein one of the most harmful preservatives being used in the market today are those in a class known as parabens. Indeed, they are so widely used because they are effective and inexpensive.

Parabens
Parabens are a class of chemicals utilized primarily as preservatives in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, used largely for their bactericidal and fungicidal properties. They are most commonly found in shampoos, moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, and toothpastes, to name but a few. However, there has been mounting evidence in recent years that suggests that parabens are carcinogenic in nature, and estrogenic when used over time. In some cases, parabens have upset the hormonal balance, stimulating premature uterine growth in mice.

Considering that excess estrogen has been linked to cancer, and the fact that lab tests have created cancer cells using parabens, Dr. Epstein is concerned, and he believes that more than a decade worth of research should be sufficient time to enable scientists to prove to consumers that the products they are using on a daily basis may be doing more harm than good. While it is not conclusive in any way, his book does provide an interesting look at the underbelly of the cosmetics industry and the potential harmful effects of many of the products we never think twice about applying to our bodies.