Anti-Aging Medicine

A Preventive Anti-Aging Medicine

Aging Theories

There is still not a unique and universal theory of aging. In fact, the increase in life expectancy is a gift from the progress of science and technology of the 20th century, and has more accelerated in the last century than it has for the prior millennia!

There are four major theories of aging and some secondary theories which one of them seemed full of promise. Each of these theories explains some aspects of this process.

1 - The theory of "wear"
made by Dr. August Weismann in 1882 who thought that the body and its cells were damaged by their overuse and the abuse they suffered during the years. Many organs like the liver, stomach, kidneys, skin, etc.., suffered a stroke and wear imposed by food toxins ; over consumption of sugar, fats, alcohol and nicotine ; ultra violet rays and other environment stressors. This wear also spills at the cellular level. However, this theory does not explain everything, because even if you live a monastic life, even then you age. It should be noted however that nutritional supplements are effective in helping the body to repair and maintain cells and organs healthy.

2 - Neuro-endocrine (or hormonal theory)
was developed by Vladimir Dilman, Ph.D.. He has studied in detail the biochemical network that manages our endocrine system and the production of our hormones under the direction of the hypothalamus, a small gland in the brain. During our youth, that hormone production is high and sometimes it decreases significantly as we age. Thus, production of growth hormone is reduced from the age of 30 years, resulting in decreased muscle mass and increased fat mass. After 40 or 50 years the levels of certain hormones (oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone) will decrease, resulting in menopause and andropause. The same applies to thyroid hormone and melatonin produced by the pineal gland. Therefore, hormonal supplementation is an essential component of anti-aging therapies. It helps restore the hormonal clock to zero and thus delay or possibly reverse many effects of aging.

3 - The theory of genetic control
This theory states that our genetic inheritance (DNA) largely determines the rate at which we age and the maximum age that we will achieve. In the structure of DNA that would record the duration of our earthly journey. The anti-aging medicine offers an answer by increasing the amount of material of DNA in cells, protecting DNA and by stimulating its ability to repair.

4 - The free radicals theory
This revolutionary theory was discovered by a researcher at the Medical University of Nebraska, Dr. Denham Harman. He proposed the hypothesis that the presence of free radicals (molecules with an odd number of electrons) corresponds to the activity of oxidative processes in the body, oxidative stress. Oxidation occurs when you add oxygen to a substance. We can therefore say that, paradoxically, the same fuel that makes us live participate in our destruction by oxidation. Free radicals also attack and created the membranes of our cells that are highly susceptible to oxidation because they are composed of unsaturated fat. Oxidation of membrane produces a metabolic waste, lipofuscine, which by accumulation in the body appear on the skin, forming what is called the "age spots". The lipofuscine slows the reproductive capacity of cells and synthesis of DNA and RNA. We also observed that free radical activity can sometimes lead to the proliferation of mutant cells, subsequently leading to cancer and death. Free radicals also attack collagen and elasticin. The intensity of oxidative stress that we experienced during our lives is evident in the wrinkles observed on our skin.


Other theories have been proposed, and allow complete understanding of this complex phenomenon:

- The theory of accumulation of waste -
postulates that when the balance between production of waste by our cells and their ability to eliminate them is broken, and that the presence of waste is too large, the cell dies. Lipofuscine (already mentioned) is the principal of these wastes.

- The theory of the Hayflick limit -
In 1961, Dr. Hayflick found that human fibroblasts (cells of the skin, lungs and muscles) have a limited lifespan and divide about 50 times and die. However, other research has shown that nutrition seems to have an effect on the rate at which cells divide when these cells are well maintained. They divide 3 times slower.

- The mitochondrial theory -
Mitochondria are the energy sources of cells and produce ATP, our main source of energy. Unfortunately, this process generates free radicals to which the DNA mitochondria are easy targets because they are deprived of most defence systems present in other parts of the cell. The DNA of mitochondria accumulates oxidative damage then. Fortunately, some antioxidants have the ability to enter mitochondria and to protect them.

- The theory of cross-linked -
the phenomenon of glycation occurs when glucose molecules react with proteins. Cross-links then appear on the occasion of this excess of sugar in the blood. The rigidity cross-linked collagen makes the tissues stiffer and interferes with communication between cells. The glycation process appears to be inhibit in people who lead active lives, that eat properly and take nutritional supplements.

- The theory of energy restriction -
proposed by Dr. Roy Walford of the University of California (Los Angeles). Dr. Walford has clearly demonstrated in research on animal models that under nutrition without malnutrition (a diet low in calories and rich in nutrients) can retard aging functionally, and perhaps even aging chronologically. The test subjects lose weight gradually until they reach a level of maximum metabolic efficiency. There is however some doubt on the possibility of implementing this method in in a large scale in the mass of humanity.

- The theory of telomeres -
is the latest. Telomeres have been discovered by researchers at Geron Corporation in Menlo Park (California). Telomeres are sequences of nucleic acids located at the ends of chromosomes, which maintain their integrity. However, at each cell division, telomeres shorten, leading of course, after many divisions, to cell death. The presence of the enzyme telomerase, which is the key to the preservation and even repair of telomeres, was observed in germ cells and cancer cells, thus potentially giving the cells a capacity of infinite division. The work at Geron Corporation is designed to both repair the telomeres to increase the cell life, and also to inhibit the action of telomerase in cancer cells, thus, preventing them from dividing. This theory is promising, not only for practitioners of anti-aging medicine, but also for researchers who are fighting the cancer disease.

Despite tremendous progress in research on aging, there is still no unanimous agreement among researchers on one unique theory of aging. Perhaps because there is no universal theory? One thing is sure: the work of theoretical gerontology and those of anti-aging medicine tend to push the limits of human longevity and delay or eliminate the ravages of aging!



  
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