Ganoderma Guide

How Are Antioxidants Linked to Anti-Aging?


Antioxidants have been widely praised in the media.

Many know they
are linked with anti-aging properties. However this is not new, it
all began with one man's theory a half a century ago about how free
radicals were associated with aging, and science has been trying to
catch up with it ever since.
As Dr. Nicholas Perricone, M.

D., states in his 2001 book, "The
Wrinkle Cure": "When it comes to aging, it's not Father Time that's
public enemy number 1. It's the very busy, very nasty little
molecule called the free radical."
The Free Radical Theory of Aging was published by Denman Harman
in 1956.

He theorized that aging is a result of free radical damage
of the cells of the body. This is also called oxidative stress.
Today, a great deal of experimental evidence supports the
premise that length of life is determined by the crucial balance of
antioxidants with free radicals in the body. Oxidative stress is
being shown to be at the root of disease and aging.


One example is that the life of the fruit fly was up to 30%
longer when it was genetically altered with an addition of
enzymatic antioxidants. Not only that, but the altered fruit flies
also showed a reduced amount of age-related oxidative damage.
Studies of humans have also shown evidence of free radical
damage playing a large part in human aging. One 1996 study compared
markers of free radical damage in the blood and found evidence of
the highest oxidative damage associated with the disabled elderly,
an intermediate amount with the healthy elderly, and the lowest
levels with the healthy adults.


The study also found that higher blood levels of antioxidant
Vitamins C and E were associated with less disability, and signs of
free radical damage were associated with more disability.
We need to rethink our concept of aging. We accept disease,
disability, senility, wrinkles, and all the other many signs of
aging as natural. Instead, we should view this as 'unsuccessful
aging' - ie.

, aging associated with deterioration, disease and
disability.
Successful aging is what happens when the human body is able to
fight off oxidative stress, and continue to regenerate and repair
itself. Successful aging is getting older healthily, without
significant pathological conditions.
What the evidence is telling us is that it is crucial we take
antioxidants and free radicals very seriously if we want to 'age
gracefully' and avoid the many pitfalls of 'unsuccessful
aging'.


Even young people can be victims of unsuccessful aging, if they
are not providing their bodies with the necessary balance of having
have enough dietary antioxidants to fight off the free
radicals.
In our modern culture, many of us are guilty of not getting
adequate nutrition. It's ironic, when we are the richest we have
ever been that we should be feeding our bodies so poorly.
An interesting example of how a person can seriously damage
their body with the wrong diet was seen in the Documentary 'Super
Size Me' by Morgan Spurlock who ate only McDonald's for a month.

In
just 30 days of having a junk food diet as his sole source of
nutrition, his health was spiraling downwards and out of
control.
The fact that he gained 25 pounds in a month was the least of
his worries. He experienced a toxic liver, a significant increase
in cholesterol, headaches, depression, a lower sex drive and poor
skin. He returned to normal after his experiment ended.


Unfortunately a great many of us continue to do damage to our
bodies, by smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee, eating junk food,
and not eating our vegetables. When the media began warning us of
free radicals, many of us did not understand the massive damage we
were causing our bodies or how to prevent it, especially as most of
the signs of damage are invisible until it is too late.
Free radical damage is accumulative and spreads like wildfire
over time. Do your body a favor.

Feed it a diet rich in antioxidant
nutrition. Make it a habit, eat your fruits and vegetables, take
your vitamins, and try to stop or cut down on damaging bad habits.
You will thank yourself in 20 years.
Use antioxidants wisely to age successfully.

Maybe like the
fruit fly, you too can live 30% longer.
Carina MacInnes is a writer who offers a free e-course on how
free radicals affect our health, using antioxidants for healing and
anti-aging, and the latest in superfood nutrition. For her health
she uses an antioxidant-packed superfood liquid nutrient. Get all
the info now: .

com





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