Aging (Anti-Aging)
Updated Aug. 15th, 2019
Aging is a broad term used to describe the accumulation of physical changes in a person over time, but more commonly we think of it as the age-associated declining of our physical health. There are psychological and social changes that occur with aging as well, but those are beyond the scope of this article. Check out our Senior's Health article for more information. Since the time of the industrial revolution, human longevity has been increasing. The most common causes of death are no longer communicable diseases but are instead diseases from lifestyle and environmental sources. Because of this, our focus has shifted to maintaining a healthy body as the best insurance against aging.
Physical Aging
Aging as a physical process is often independent of chronological age, and two people of the same age may have considerably different physical effects from the passage of time. This physical aging of the body and its cells is known in the scientific community as senescence. In the simplest of terms, senescence is a progressive loss of the ability of our cells to respond to stress and maintain homeostasis (metabolic balance). When enough stressors happen, the cell cannot respond well enough and will succumb and die. Our ability to resist these stressors and replace these dying cells is the key to staying young. Thus, cell division is essential to our health because it constantly renews our skin, blood, bone and other cells as required.
Telomere Shortening
In humans, senescence at the cellular level has been attributed to the shortening of the telomeres at the ends of our chromosomes. These telomeres are like buffered edges that protect the meaningful DNA code from damage or loss during replication, much like the plastic tip on a shoelace. Unfortunately, each replication cycle causes the loss of a bit of this buffered edge (a wearing of the plastic), until eventually the coding DNA begins to be lost as well (fraying of the shoelace). Because DNA is replicated each time a cell needs to divide and replace itself the telomeres are considered like a "molecular clock" for the lifetime of the cell. As we age, we eventually lose our telomeres and thus we lose our ability to regenerate, which eventually results in aging and death. Telomere shortening isn't all-bad though, it acts as a protective failsafe against the formation of cancer. In fact, 85% of cancers contain a mutation that activates an enzyme (telomerase) that repairs the telomeres of the cell and prevents shortening.
Free Radical Damage
The number one cause of damage to our cells is exposure to free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules with an unpaired electron that are extremely reactive, and damage surrounding cell membranes, fats, and fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients. We encounter free radicals through environmental exposures, such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, processed foods, and ultraviolet radiation from the sun (UV rays).
The damage caused by free radicals can cause cell death, alterations in genetic material and autoimmune reactions to damaged cells. Because of this, it is important to reduce your exposure to these damaging substances by using natural products and avoiding environmental exposures. To help neutralize the effects of those free radicals that you cannot avoid, ensure your diet is rich in as many antioxidants as possible. See below for some suggestions.
Hormone Loss
Aging inevitably results in a decline in the production of our sex hormones over time. These hormones play essential roles in maintaining muscle mass and bone density, as well as a number of other health markers. In men, this decline in hormone production is known as andropause, and is caused by a drop in natural testosterone. For information on the treatment of andropause, please click here. In women, this decline is known as menopause. See information on the treatment of menopause.
Dietary Changes
Research in mice has shown that when they are fed a diet that contains 30-50% less calories than an unrestricted diet, but still contains all the nutritional requirements can lead to and increase in lifespan of up to 50%. Caloric restriction has been shown to delay the onset of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and possibly cancer. The easiest way to do this is to focus your diet on fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and nutrients.
Lifestyle Changes
By making certain lifestyle changes, the quality and longevity of your life can be vastly improved. Gaining healthy habits such as regular exercise, good quality sleep, breathing exercises and a clean diet as well as dropping unhealthy activities such as smoking and chemical exposure will increase vitality. Internally, as we age we lose muscle mass (sarcopenia) so by doing weight-bearing exercise you can delay muscle degradation. All exercise will aid in increasing telomerase activity which helps enhance and elongate the life of our cells. Our external facing organ – our aging skin – can be cared for by keeping moisturized using creams and lotions containing natural and healthy oils like avocado, almond and olive. To avoid damaging your skin, limit sun exposure, be sure to use sunscreen (which will minimize age spots) and avoid direct contact with harsh, cleansing chemicals. See more information on skin health.
Liver Support
Because our liver is the organ responsible for detoxifying our body and for eliminating most reactive substances like free radicals from the body, it is essential that we support its health and function. Some substances that do this are: N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), milk thistle, B complex vitamins, and D-glucarate. See more information on supporting liver health. In addition to support, after a time of toxic buildup such as holidays or celebrations, it is often a good idea to do a liver and kidney detox to help clear out any extra toxic build up you may have accumulated, and to ensure those elimination pathways are running smoothly. See more information on detoxification.
Digestive Support
Much like the liver, your digestive tract is the key to your ability to eliminate a large amount of your toxic burden. It is the most direct way for waste to leave our body, and is where the liver releases the toxins that it has processed. Because of this, healthy digestion is one of the keys to aging well. For more information on how to maintain your digestive health, please click here.
ANTI-AGING SUPPLEMENTS
Antioxidants
Most fruits and vegetables naturally contain a variety of antioxidants, especially berries such as: blueberries, acai, goji, noni, and other superfruits. Many vitamins also act as antioxidants in the body. These include: vitamin A, C, E, CoQ10, and carotenoids. See more information on the many antioxidants available.
Resveratrol
This nutrient is found in common foods such as: red wine, berries, and the skins of other brightly coloured fruits. Studies examining resveratrol showed dramatic results for reducing the incidence of cancer, by acting directly on cancer cells to cause their death. Resveratrol can also protect the heart and cardiovascular system by maintaining the integrity of artery walls and by reducing the thickness of the blood. See more information on resveratrol.
Astragalus
Interestingly, specific constituents of astragalus root have been shown to increase telomerase activity and supplement companies are starting to market these products with anti-ageing in mind. See more information on Astragalus.
Carnosine
This small protein subunit has been found to be an excellent anti-aging agent for both maintaining mental function, and by acting as a strong antioxidant that protects the body against damage. See more information on carnosine.
Coenzyme Q10
One of the natural enzymes in the body commonly known as CoQ10, is an extremely strong antioxidant that can help to prevent the physical signs of aging. It is also required for the creation of ATP, the major energy molecule in the body. See more information on Coenzyme Q10.
Carotenoids
Often anti-aging skincare products contain a type of natural antioxidant compound extracted from yellow, or red fruits and vegetables. These compounds are called carotenoids. See more information on carotenoids.
The health benefits to fight aging, as mentioned under dietary changes box, regarding the mice was due to autophagy state. where the body falls into a repair and create new cells. esentially leading up to a healthy skin and bone feeling and fat loss status. I personally have done that 72 hour fast twice and feel great afterwards because of the nutrients and vitamins I get from national nutrition (vcaps). Autophagy is the new science that helps reduce the aging process and reverse in some cases. Fasting and exercise both promote this autophagy phenomenon so please look into that, there are many medical journals and studies that all support the anti-aging benefit of it. Of course make sure you see a practitioner before doing any extreme fasts to make sure it doesn't conflict with any current medical conditions you have.
I think it is best to get as much as you can out of your food before taking a supplement. For example, eat a small bowl of blueberries every morning with you cereal. Have a handful of almonds or other nuts as a snack instead of chips. Have a fruit after each meal before you eat dessert. Every little bit helps.
Loved this read. Very informative for how to age gracefully with natural supplements and products.
Hello Barb,
We're glad you enjoyed our article on Aging and have learned how to care for your changing health naturally! Here are some articles on supplements that go well through all seasons of life:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/supplements/collagen-1-and-3/
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/supplements/collagen-2/
Stay healthy & well!
Excellent article on anti aging and the benefits of targeted supplementation. I often tell people that you can't stop the process but you can certainly delay it by incorporating a healthy lifestyle including exercise, proper diet, stress management and supplementation. I was surprised that the Japanese 'knotweed' wasn't mentioned as the primary resveratrol source containing 'emodin.'
Hello Marco,
Thank you for your comment and we are glad you're enjoying our articles. Anti aging can be supported through many lifestyle choices. Here's our article on other things to consider for skin health too:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/skin-health/
Stay healthy & well!
In addition to the tips listed above, I would also like to add that intermittent fasting, drinking matcha tea and bone broth helped me noticeably improve my skin. My method of fasting is eating 2 meals per day six days a week and then eating only 1 meal 1 day per week. I have more energy, my digestion is better, and allergy symptoms are improving just by fasting. The improved skin and hair is a bonus to me.
Hello Hassan,
Thank you for sharing your tips and experience. If you'd like to learn more about matcha, don't forget to check out our supplement articles too:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/supplements/matcha/
Stay well!
I have to say aging for me is very scary and as I get older and see more changes to my body and appearance and the way I feel, I get worried. It's scary to know that something is inevitable and it is useful and calming to know that there are things that one can do to slow the process a bit. This article has made the notion of aging a bit less scary for me and it identifies key things that can be done to age gracefully and puts things in perspective for me.
Hello,
Thank you for sharing. We are happy to hear that our articles not only help you learn about natural health but also ease any anxieties you may have. Being proactive about your health can certainly help keep you feeling and looking vivacious and energetic. We think you'll enjoy learning some skin health tips from this article as well:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/skin-health-aging/
Have a healthy day!
Great article, love the examples given of the food items we can use to benefit aging, will try them out!
Hello Dav,
Thank you for your feedback, we're glad you enjoyed reading about how nutrition can help with anti aging. Food or supplements rich in antioxidants are definitely important when looking to maintain youthful and supple skin and a healthy inside as well. You can learn more about the power of antioxidants here, https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/supplements/antioxidants/
Have a healthy day