Nutrition is critical to healthy aging. It works to correct the potential damage caused by our lifestyle, perception and environment. Aging is the deterioration of body health and function with time. It is associated with chronic stress, nutritional deficiencies, increased levels of free radicals, toxins, defective genes and a tired or overtaxed immune system. Proper nutrition slows down the biological changes associated with aging, promoting longevity.
Significance
The people of Okinawa, Japan, illustrate the significance of good nutrition on aging and general well-being. According to Larry Trivieri and John W. Anderson in their book "Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide," these people typically live past 100 years with a low incidence of chronic disease. These people eat a low-fat diet of rice and fish and lead a simple life void of stress, helping explain the observed average life span. According to Weston Price, author of the book "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration," people who ate their indigenous foods rather than a diet rich in refined and processed foods enjoyed high immunity and overall good health. The introduction of white sugar and flour, refined vegetable oils and canned goods quickly led to signs of degeneration in the groups of people Price studied.
Function
An anti-aging diet functions to provide the body with the necessary tools to heal and repair damage caused at a cellular level. Aging accelerators, such as excess production of stress hormones, toxins, immune dysfunction and nutritional deficiencies affect cell viability. For instance, B vitamins are depleted by stress, and excessive use of stimulants such as coffee causes havoc to the adrenal system. Supplying your body with the right nutrients is vital to all physiological processes, including elimination and detoxification, which help clear the body of impurities.
Theories/Speculation
According to "Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide," aging is a predetermined process. Aging proceeds according to a biological timetable, and our genes have some influence on our life span. Genes control the flow of instructions that regulate the body's biochemistry and physiology. Gene expression occurs when molecules bind to specific receptors, which helps explain the role of nutrition in healthy aging. The food we eat communicates with our genes, and nutrients found in different foods can alter gene expression. A whole-foods diet helps activate genes that promote longevity. Nutrigenomics, or the science of how food and nutrients interact with our genes to turn on messages of health and disease, may help slow the aging process.
Prevention/Solution
According to "Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide," excessive free-radical production is commonly regarded as the hallmark of aging. Free radicals are unstable toxic molecules that cause oxidative damage to cells and tissues, reducing organ functional capacity. The body naturally produces free radical-neutralizing enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase; however, sufficient amounts of zinc, copper, and manganese are required for enzyme formation. An anti-aging diet also provides adequate levels of other free-radical scavengers such as vitamins A, C, E and selenium. A diet abundant in yellow, red and green foods is rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients, which help remove the harmful effect of free radicals.
Expert Insight
Excess sugar molecules circulating in the blood attach themselves to protein in the process known as protein glycation, resulting in glue-like substances. These substances, known as advanced glycolyslation endproducts or AGEs, stick to tissue cells and organs, accelerating free-radical production. According to a study in the January 2000 issue of "Biomedical and Life Sciences," accumulated AGEs are accelerated in aging and related conditions such as high cholesterol and diabetes. Reducing sugar intake is a key component of an anti-aging regime.
Considerations
An anti-aging food diet considers other factors, such as drinking enough water and abstaining from destructive lifestyle behaviors such as smoking. Water, a part of all physiological body functions, aids nutrient absorption and assimilation. Cellular dehydration is associated with accelerated aging. Water helps supply nutrients and oxygen more efficiently, increasing cell water turnover and metabolism.
References
- "500 of the Most Important Health Tips"; Hazel Courtney; 2009
- "Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide"; Larry Trivieri and John W. Anderson; 2002
- "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: Weston Price, DDS; 2008
- "The New Optimum Nutrition Bible"; Patrick Holford; 2004
- "Biomedical and Life Sciences"; Age-dependent accumulation of advanced glycation endproducts is accelerated in combined hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, a process attenuated by L-arginine; Adriana Georgescu and Doina Popov; January 2000
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