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Aging:

Just tell me what to take

Growing older is not an illness, but the passing years do make the body more vulnerable to disease. A significant number of problems faced by people over the age of sixty may also be attributable to nutritional deficiencies. 

At the same time, as the body ages, its systems slow down and become less efficient, so the correct nutrients are more important then ever for the support, repair, and regeneration of the cells. You must remember though that it took years for problems to develop, so it usually takes some time to resolve them as well.

Have you ever known an older person who was not old? A person who look like they're forty at the age of sixty. What you would find in that person's cells is something called antioxidants sitting in the fatty layer of the cellular membrane doing its job as protector against the consequences of so-called aging. 

How do they slow down the process? They protect your cell membranes from invasion by the "health vandals". These health vandals are called "free radicals". They have a nasty habit of stealing electrons from your body's healthy molecules to balance themselves, in practice damaging cells and their DNA, the genetic blueprint that tells a cell how to do its job. And without a perfect copy of that DNA blueprint, a cell doesn't know what it is supposed to do. The body is hit 10s of thousands of times a day, and whether they stay damaged depends on the "cellular repair squads", or the antioxidants.

The idea is that there may be an accumulation of damage from the constant cellular bombardment. A cell gets hit once, the cellular repair squad comes to the rescue and cut out the damage to the cell's DNA blueprint, and the cell bounces back into action. But when the cell gets hit over and over again, there may come a point at which things can't be patched back together the way it was. So the cell continues to do its job, but not as well as it had been.

The body produces natural antioxidants to handle the "free radical damage", but doesn't produce enough to handle the bombardment generated by the modern world. Your body's natural systems was not designed to handle rooms full of cigarette smoke, a diet loaded with processed foods and constant exposure to pollution.

So the solution is to supplement your body's natural antioxidants. If you want to know more see article Free Radicals and Antioxidants. 

What to eat: 

As you grow older, your body may not use the protein you eat, as efficiently, so you may need to eat more from different sources.

Fruits and vegetables are good for improving the body's immune system. The immune system helps prevent and fight colds and other viruses, infections and even diseases such as cancer. Waiting to give antibiotics for pneumonia? Better to improve the body's immune system. By your fifties or sixties the infection-fighting cells don't function as well. Remember you are probably not as active as you used to be. Moderate exercise enhances immunity.

You need a diet rich in antioxidant nutrients, vitamins and minerals that help prevent the damage caused by oxidation. Green salads, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds and other nuts, broccoli, carrot or celery

Celery is high in apigenin, a chemical that expands (dilates) the blood vessels and may help prevent high blood pressure. Use olive oil, its great for getting the essential fatty acids. 

Health Tips for growing older:

1) Go for a walk every day.
2) Don't smoke - or at least take the recommended supplements to counteract the harmful effects of smoking.
3) Don't drink alcohol: Or at least never drink more than two drinks and don't drink everyday. Give your liver a rest. Your liver has to work hard to clear alcohol, medications and environmental pollutants from the body. 
4) Don't sunbathe - ever: You probably get enough sun to produce a healthy amount of vitamin D with moderate outdoor activities that don't involve actively seeking sun.
4) Drink two antioxidant herb teas a day. If you're a heavy coffee drinker, consider replacing two cups with a herb tea. Oregano, Rosemary, bee balm, lemon balm (also known as melissa), peppermint, sage, spearmint, savory and thyme have significant levels of antioxidants.

Supplements:

There are many supplements that will help the aging body. If you can't always eat right, make sure that you supplement your diet.  We cannot prescribe, but would not hesitate to suggest the following:

Forgo saturated fat and get Omega 3 supplements. See Essential Fatty Acids article.

A niacin supplement B3, may mean extra protection against arthritis, premature senility and abnormal cholesterol levels that may be partially due to B3 deficiency.

Garlic - good for prolonging the life span of normal skin cells, but also helps to fight heart disease and cancer. Garlic and cayenne are believed to prevent platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous blood clots. Garlic has been known to reduce high cholesterol and lowers high blood pressure.

Herbs such as ginkgo and saw palmetto can alleviate some of the afflictions of old age. Ginkgo help older people who suffer from memory loss and confusion and that saw palmetto is effective as treating prostate problems that plague many older men. Ginkgo has the ability to increase blood flow to the brain. It improves alertness, memory and the ability to concentrate, it elevates mood, and relieves tinnitus (ringing in the ears), dizziness and anxiety. 

Vitamin B6 is more important as you age. Older people seem to metabolize it less effectively then younger people. This deficiency can hurt immunity. 

Suggested supplements:

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