YOUR GUIDE TO NATURAL HEALTH

INTHE Special Report

HOW YOU AGE…AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT ITBy Gale Maleskey, MS, RD

IntroductionYou may find it hard to believe, but around the age of 20 we all begin slid-

ing down the slippery slope of aging. The average lifespan in the U.S. is

now about 78 years. That means we spend about 60 years of our lives

growing older. We all accept aging as a reality, but what exactly drives

the aging process and do we have any control of it? Many of us know

folks who are still physically and mentally dynamic in their 80s and 90s

and the oldest living person on earth is thought to be 124! Is there any-

thing we can do to improve our chances of being one of those lucky peo-

ple who live both well and long?

Theories On AgingMany theories have been proposed to explain how and why we grow old. The most prominent of which can be classified into

two basic theoretical camps. While they are very different conceptually, there is certainly some overlap among these ideas.

Some experts subscribe to “Biological Clock” theories, which state that your lifespan is largely predetermined by your genes.

These theories suggest that genetic programming determines the maximum lifespan for every species. In other words, if your

parents and grandparents lived to be 90, you’re likely to reach that decade too, provided you don’t have an accident, contract

an illness or age prematurely due to bad habits. That said, we all know people who may smoke, drink heavily or eat poorly and

never seem to “pay” for it.

Other experts believe in what are often called “Wear-and-Tear” theories. Wear-and-tear occurs when damage to the body’s

cells and systems from a variety of assaults—radiation, chemical toxins, processed foods, as well as mental, emotional and

physical stress—accumulates, making you more susceptible to disease and ultimately

shortening your lifespan.

Is It Possible To Slow The Aging Process?If you look at historical increases in human lifespan, one could argue that this question has

already been answered. In 1900, the average American lived to be only 49 years old. With advances

in medicine and nutrition, we have nearly doubled this lifespan in only 100 years. Many experts believe

that humans have the ability to live up to 120 years, so you can see that we still have some improve-

ments to make.

If you want to increase your chances for living a long and healthy life, what steps should you

be taking right now? There are many studies that suggest that you can actually slow down

the biological clock. However, the most obvious recommendations for extending lifespan

have to do with reducing wear-and-tear. Even if your parents or grandparents died at a

relatively young age, or if you have not always treated your body as well as you perhaps

could have, it is not too late to slow down the aging process!

Free Radical StressWe all need oxygen to live,

but oxygen has a destruc-

tive side. It can create free

radicals—unstable molecules

that damage other molecules by stealing

electrons. The havoc that free radicals

can cause over time is insidious. They

can damage DNA and cell membranes

as well as the tiny, energy-producing

mitochondria inside every cell, changing

these little fuel cells into free radical gen-

erators themselves. It’s no wonder that

free radical damage has been implicated

in most diseases associated with aging.

What You Can Do: � Reduce your exposure to things

that generate free radicals. Don’t

smoke and avoid prolonged expo-

1 0 R E A S O N S W H Y Y O U A G E

1sure to car exhaust and

toxic chemicals. Cut back

on red meat and any kind

of smoked or charbroiled

meats. Consume sugar

and alcohol in modera-

tion, and stay away from

fried foods.

� Supplement with a good mix ofantioxidant nutrients, both water-

soluble (such as vitamin C) and

fat-soluble (such as vitamin E).

Consider these powerful antioxidant

supplements: selenium, green tea

extract, alpha lipoic acid, krill oil,

resveratrol and CoEnzyme Q10.

� Make sure your diet includes lots of deeply hued fruits andvegetables. These foods contain

lots of antioxidants to

fight those free radi-

cals. Eat a minimum

of five servings a day.

Three servings of

veggies and two of

fruit is a good bal-

ance. Also consider

taking a plant-based

carotenoid supplement.

� Eat berries daily. Goji berries, blue-

berries, raspberries, cranberries and

açai berries contain a wide diversity

of free radical fighting phytochemi-

cals. For added insurance, or if eat-

ing at least one serving of fresh

berries daily is difficult, consider tak-

ing supplements that contain stan-

dardized berry extracts.

Glycation Reactions A glycation reaction is

when protein molecules bind

with glucose (sugar) to literally

gunk up your body. Glycation occurs when

blood sugar is elevated and there is excess

glucose in the blood stream. It can dam-

age your blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and

nerves as well as damage to your DNA.

What You Can Do: � Cut back on sugar and carbohy-

drates, especially refined sugar and

carbs, which can spike blood sugar.

Regulate your blood sugar by increas-

ing your intake of soluble fiber, which

slows down carb absorption. Eat three

servings a day of high-fiber foods such

2 as oats, barley, beans, carrots or pears,

and take a psyllium husk supplement

daily. Aim for about 10 grams a day

total of soluble fiber from foods and

supplements.

� Get enough thiamine (vitamin B1),which blocks some of the pathways by

which high blood sugar promotes tis-

sue damage. Try to get 25 mg per day.

Good food sources include sunflower

seeds, beans and tuna. A comprehen-

sive multivitamin or a standalone sup-

plement will ensure that you are getting

protective amounts.

� Take a cinnamon supplement. One

study suggests that cinnamon can

lower fasting blood glucose by 30%. It

works by increasing insulin sensitivity

by helping to move sugar from your

blood into cells. Try to take 500 mg

daily.

� Get enough chromium. It can

decrease fasting blood sugar, insulin

levels and glycosylated hemoglobin,

while also increasing insulin sensitivity

in people with type 2 diabetes. Try to

get 200-1,000 mcg a day in divided

doses. Good food sources include

romaine lettuce, onions and tomatoes.

A comprehensive multivitamin or a

standalone supplement is a good idea.

� Supplement with magnesium. It’s

involved in sugar metabolism, and

many people don’t get enough. Get an

extra 100 mg a day.

Methylation DeficitSome of the important

chemical reactions that take

place in our bodies are called

methylation reactions. Methylation reac-

tions help to neutralize toxins which can

harm blood vessels and nerves. They also

help to produce important biochemicals

used for muscle energy, fat burning, and

cell membrane fluidity. Unfortunately, the

3 ability to methylate is gradually lost as we

age. This contributes to a shortened lifes-

pan of cells, autoimmune problems such

as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, depres-

sion, sleep problems, cancer, heart dis-

ease and disorders of the nerves and brain.

What You Can Do: � Take supplemental magnesium

and B vitamins, especially B6, B12

and folic acid. All of these nutrients

are needed for methylation to occur,

and a shortage of any one will dimin-

ish the body's ability to do so. We

recommend 500 mcg of B12, 400-

800 mcg of folic acid, 25-50 mg of

B6 and 350-400 mg of magnesium

from a combination of food and sup-

plements. A good multivitamin

should contain the proper doses of

all of these nutrients.

2

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Immune ImpairmentMany symptoms of aging

are due to the declining

ability of the immune system

to tell the difference between invaders

and normal parts of your body. Not only

does the immune system become less

capable of resisting infection and can-

cer, but declining cell function may

cause your immune system to attack

your body’s own tissues. This is why the

chances of suffering from autoimmune

diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and

psoriasis increase with age.

What You Can Do: � Take a comprehensive daily mul-

tivitamin. Most vitamins and miner-

als play a significant role in immunity,

so you need a good balance of all of

them. Research shows that people

who take a multivitamin take fewer

sick days at work. Make sure your

5 multi has at least 15 mg of

zinc, or take a separate

supplement. Zinc is

essential to your

immune system

and even a mild

deficiency impairs

it.

� Take supplemen-tal fish oil to reduce

inflammation and

enhance proper immune

cell function. Make sure your

supplement has a high level of

EPA and DHA, the active compo-

nents in fish oil.

� Drink green tea or use a greentea extract. It’s a potent anti-inflam-

matory, plus it can work with antibi-

otics to triple their effectiveness.

Experts recommend 3 cups a day,

or an extract providing 240-320 mg

of EGCG, the active component.

� Consider taking beta glu-can. These chains of

sugar act as potent

immune stimulators.

While beta glucan is

found in grains,

yeasts and mush-

rooms, you will

need to take a sup-

plement to get their

therapeutic benefits.

Look for a supplement

that contains the most

effective 1,3/1,6 type. Take at

least 100 mg daily.

� Get probotics every day, eitheras a supplement or in foods withactive cultures. These “friendly”

bacteria help preserve and restore

your intestines’ immune barrier.

Products often list their CFUs, or

Colony Forming Units, as a measure

of potency. Five billion per dose is a

good amount.

Poor Microcirculation Blood is ultimately deliv-

ered to cells via capillaries,

which start to clog up as we

age. The result is age-related health

problems such as cataracts, macular

degeneration and glaucoma, mini-

strokes and wrinkles.

6 What You Can Do: � Take gingko biloba. Ginkgo

improves circulation by decreasing

blood viscosity and relaxing vascular

smooth muscle, and it also improves

muscle tone in veins, restoring bal-

ance to the circulatory system. A

standardized supplement of 120-

240 mg per day of ginkgo leaf

extract has proven to be effective.

� Take vitamin C (1,000 mg daily)and vitamin E (400-800 IU daily)Both help to prevent clogs in tiny

blood vessels by reducing the ten-

dency for blood to clot and prevent-

ing build-up of fatty plaque.

� Exercise. Studies show a significant

improvement in microcirculation after

even mild exercise, especially in

muscles.

MitochondrialEnergy DepletionThe cell’s energy power-

house, called mitochondria,

are virtual assembly lines of chemical reac-

tions that provide the energy that maintains

critical cell functions. Mitochondrial energy

depletion can result in congestive heart fail-

ure, muscle weakness, fatigue and neuro-

logical disease, and is one of the reasons

why you have less energy as you get older.

What You Can Do: � Take CoQ10. This nutrient is a co-

factor in many metabolic pathways

4including the production of ATP, a

cell’s energy currency. Your body

produces less CoQ10 as you age,

and if you take a statin drug, this

depletion can accelerate. Take 100

to 200 mg daily.

� Get enough magnesium, at least350-400 mg a day. A lack of this

mineral leads to disordered energy

metabolism and increased oxidative

damage to mitochondria. A compre-

hensive multivitamin or a standalone

supplement may be a good idea.

� Take extra vitamin D—1,000-2,000 IU a day. It helps to improve

magnesium absorption in your intes-

tines. For best results, make sure

your supplement uses the D3 variety.

� Take an acetyl-l-carnitine supple-ment. Research shows that taking

acetyl-l-carnitine for 30 days

improves physical and mental

fatigue, increases muscle mass and

decreases fat mass in older people.

Take 500-1,000 mg daily.

� Add vitamin E. High doses (400 IU

a day or more) protects against age-

related changes in mitochondria.

This dosage can only be achieved

with supplementation.

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Fatty Acid Imbalance Aging causes alterations in

the enzymes required to con-

vert dietary fats into the specific

essential fatty acids the body requires to

sustain life. Low levels of these fatty acids

accelerate the aging process. The effects

of a fatty acid imbalance may show up as

an irregular heartbeat, joint degeneration,

8 low energy, blood that clots too easily and

dry skin or eyes.

What You Can Do:� Make sure your diet includes lots

of omega-3s. You’ll need to eat plen-

ty of high omega-3 foods daily to get

protective amounts. Fish such as sar-

dines, salmon, mackerel, trout and

anchovies are the best sources. Or,

you can take a high quality fish oil sup-

plement. If you don’t like fish, try flax

seed oil—which is the best vegetarian

source of omega-3s.

� Reduce your intake of polyunsatu-rated fats. These include cottonseed

and corn oil. Avoid all trans fats (listed

on food labels as hydrogenated or par-

tially hydrogenated fats).

Chronic InflammationChronic inflammation is an

abnormal, ongoing immune

response that eventually

leads to tissue damage. It caus-

es not only traditional inflammatory condi-

tions, such as arthritis, but is also associat-

ed with damage to brain cells, arterial walls,

heart valves and other structures in the

body. Your chances of having chronic

inflammation increase as you get older.

What You Can Do: � Take a fish oil supplement. The

omega-3 fats in these oils are absolute-

7ly essential to counter

inflammation. They work

by inhibiting the body’s

production of pro-inflam-

matory biochemicals.

� Green tea is a must.Catechins such as

EGCG in green tea

inhibits a number of

inf lammation-causing

pathways, and helps protect joint carti-

lage and connective tissue. Drink 3

cups a day, or take a standardized

extract providing 240-320 mg of

EGCG.

� Take a quercetin supple-ment. A good dose is 1,000-

1,500 mg daily. Try to combine

quercetin with 600-800 mg

daily of bromelain. Both reduce

inflammation by quieting down

immune cells and reducing

allergic response.

� Maintain or attain yournormal weight. Scientists now

consider fat to be an endocrine organ

that can trigger high levels of inflamma-

tion. The good news: Many indicators

of inflammation drop within a week of

going on a reduced-calorie diet.

Telomere Shortening Telomeres are "caps" at the

end of DNA strands, kind of

like the tips on shoelaces,

which protect chromosomes from

destruction. They are thought to control a

cell's lifespan, and they shorten progres-

sively over time. This shortening of telom-

eres is believed to lead to cellular damage

9 due to the inability of the cell to duplicate

itself correctly. This leads to cellular dys-

function, aging and eventually, death.

What You Can Do: � Get at least 400 mg a day of mag-

nesium. Research has shown that

human cells age faster in a magne-

sium-deficient environment due to

accelerated rates of damage to telom-

eres. It's important to include lots of

magnesium-rich foods in your diet.

However, taking a good multivitamin or

a stand-alone magnesium supplement

may be your best insurance against

deficiency.

� Exercise! Recent research has found

that an active lifestyle may actually lead

to changes in your DNA that slow aging.

Expression of Aging-Related Genes

While genes play a role in

controlling your lifespan, you can

still influence their impact. Like light switch-

es, the genes that play a role in aging can

be turned on and off. Breakthrough new

research is showing that we can influence

which genes are “expressed” or activated,

and which are turned off, with a combina-

tion of lifestyle and dietary changes.

10 What You Can Do: � Stay a bit on the lean, muscular

side. Eat about 300 to 500 fewer

calories daily than you need to main-

tain your ideal weight. This means

making every calorie count—no junk

food! There is a considerable amount

of scientific evidence suggesting that

reducing your calorie intake, while

meeting your nutritional needs, turns

off aging genes.

� Take a resveratrol supplement. A

study showed that resveratrol, the

compound that gives red wine its

health benefits, switches the body’s

biochemical pathways toward tissue

maintenance, which has been found

to extend life by cutting down on the

degenerative diseases of aging. To

avoid the downsides of daily alcohol

consumption, a resveratrol supple-

ment is the way to go. Take one that

contains at least 100 mg of standard-

ized resveratrol per serving.

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Exercise for at least a 1/2 hour every day. Do whatever you can, even if it’s just a slow walk,

taking the stairs or parking a bit further away.

Don’t smoke, and try to reduce your exposure to second-hand smoke, car exhaust, pollution

and toxins. Avoid exercising in areas with heavy vehicle traffic.

Maintain a healthy weight. Stay on the lean, muscular side by avoiding foods that are high in fat,

refined carbohydrates and sugary drinks.

Drink alcohol in moderation. This means no more than 1-2 drinks a day for men, 1 for

women. If you do drink, red wine is a smart choice.

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Aim for 5 or more servings a day. Consider a veggie

carotenoid supplement and a standardized fruit extract supplement as extra insurance.

Take a comprehensive multivitamin. Several nutrients found in a multivitamin are linked to

reduced mortality. Many Americans don’t even get the minimum recommended amounts of

these nutrients.

Take a green tea extract supplement. Make sure it is high in EGCG for maximum anti-aging

benefits. Or, you can drink 3 cups of brewed green tea daily.

Eat more fish, less meat. Cut back on red meat. Instead, eat fatty fish or take a fish oil sup-

plement high in EPA and DHA to reduce age-related inflammation.

Get regular check-ups. Ask your doctor for a simple blood test that may show critical nutrient

deficiencies. Perhaps most importantly, get a colonoscopy beginning at age 50. This test can cut

your chances of dying from colon cancer by 90%.

Enjoy life. Cultivate purpose, gratitude and contentment. In other words, find good reasons to live.

Studies have shown laughing and owning a pet can help you live longer.

Q U I C K T I P S T O L I V E L O N G E R

This Special Report details dozens of

supplements that can be taken to

slow down the aging process. Of

course it would be difficult to take

ALL of them, which is why we've

detailed below what we consider the

top 7 anti-aging supplements that

you should be taking. If you have any

questions, our Certified Nutrition

Experts are here to help.

1. A comprehensive multivitamin: If

the recommended daily serving for

your current multivitamin is just one

pill, chances are it is not adequate.

2. A high quality fish oil: Look for a

formula containing at least 400 mg

of EPA and at least 250 mg of DHA.

What Is The Ideal Anti-Aging Supplement Regimen?

3. A high antioxidant green teaextract: Look for a decaffeinated

extract standardized to at least 50%

EGCG.

4. CoEnzyme Q10: Take 100-200 mg

per day—especially if you are taking a

statin drug.

5. A probiotic: Look for one that con-

tains at least 3 billion live organisms

per capsule and that is shelf-stable for

guaranteed potency.

6. High antioxidant superfruitextracts: Standardized extracts of

acai berry, goji berry, blueberry and

pomegranate are among your best

bets for potent, free radical-scavenging

activity.

7. Resveratrol: Research has shown

this antioxidant to be most effective at

dosages of 200-400 mg per day.

YOUR GUIDE TO NATURAL HEALTH

INTHE