YOUR AMAZING BODY
How much do you know about your amazing body? You are more remarkable than you ever imagined!
And some of these amazing answers will help you live longer and age more slowly.
A QUIZ IN 15 DAILY PARTS
YOUR AMAZING BODY NO. 15
Can you slow the rate at which you age?
a. Yes
b. No
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A: Yes!
“People age differently, some much faster than others. We know already that faster ageing is often associated with activated markers of chronic inflammation. We can now seriously start thinking about inflammation as a potential driver of
accelerated ageing and how we might be able to delay it.”
Institutes for Ageing and Cellular Medicine at Newcastle University
People do age at different rates – so how can you slow your own ageing?
Reduce chronic inflammation
‘Chronic inflammation’ is internal inflammation that builds up in body tissue as we get older and damages that tissue – whether in the heart, brain or other organs. It is now recognised as an underlying cause of ageing and almost all age related diseases – like heart disease, diabetes, dementia and some cancers.
Health scientists call this ‘inflamm-ageing’. They confirm we need to reduce the inflammatory elements in your diet – especially Omega 6 oils (including the corn oils and sunflower oils in so many processed foods) and refined starches and sugars. And to increase the anti-inflammatory elements – notably fruits and vegetables and Omega 3 oils.
The anti-inflammatory effect of fruits and vegetables is largely why the US Cancer Society has been recommending NINE portions of fruits and vegetables a day! If that’s a stretch, a nutritional supplement that contains a high level of anti-inflammatory nutrients is a logical choice.
Intriguing new research from the University of California indicates that anti-inflammatory nutrients can affect telomere length. Telomeres are protective caps at the end of our chromosomes whose role is to prevent the loss of genetic information during cell division.
But every time that a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. When the telomere is finally gone, the cell dies. So the hypothesis is that if we could slow the shortening of telomeres we could slow ageing.
A report from Harvard Medical School indicates how: “Fruits, vegetables, olive oil and nuts – key components of the Mediterranean diet – have well known anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects … and can prevent accelerated telomere shortening.”
Support your immune system
‘Immunosenescence’ is the term given to age related, gradual deterioration of the immune system’s white blood cells. As this happens, we are more open to infection and cancer. Which is why flu can be so devastating to the elderly.
Exercise and sleep boost immunity – as do nutrients like carotenoids, B vitamins, vitamins C, D3 and E, zinc and selenium. Lesser-known yeast-derived nutrients called 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans can significantly boost immune function and should therefore have a real influence on ageing and longevity.
Want to know more?
Check out the research and anti-inflammatory supplement at www.nutrishield.com and also the research behind 1-3,1-6 beta glucans at www.immunoshield.com.
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This is the last question in this series. I hope you have enjoyed it and learned as much as I have compiling it.
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Dr Paul Clayton designed NutriShield as a comprehensive health supplement with OPTIMUM levels of essential nutrients. See more detail elsewhere on this site or click on the button.
Dr Paul Clayton’s best-selling book Health Defence is available from most good bookstores.
See the website www.healthdefence.com for excerpts and links to buy direct from the publisher.
See online here for delicious recipes from the Health Defence Cookbook incorporating healthy foods featuring in a Mediterranean Diet.