what is healthy-aging medicine? (2)

Exercise – A Powerful Healthy Aging Prescription

A study by Ralph Paffenbarger and his colleagues involving 17,000 Harvard alumni found that men who burned 500 to 1,000 calories a week on physical activity (the equivalent of walking 5 to 10 miles) had a 22% lower risk of death for all causes, while those who expended 2,500 calories a week also added 1 to 2 years to their extended life span. People who are physically fit, eat a healthy, balanced diet and take nutritional supplements can slice 10 to 20 years off their biological age — the true age that your body should be measured, in terms of function, rather than your chronological age as measured by the candles on your birthday cake. Remember, however, that exercise, if done inappropriately, may be damaging to our health including an increase in oxidative stress.

Diet for Life

The biggest health problem facing North Americans today is obesity. More than half of us are over our ideal weight and more than one-third are obese enough to significantly raise the risk of disease and premature death. Nutrition is one of the greatest weapons against disease. We can improve health and cut the risk of diseases such as cancer and heart disease by making a number of dietary changes. These include increasing the number of servings of fruits and vegetables in the diet, eating an appropriate balance of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, as well the right balance and type of phospholipid fatty acids.

Antioxidants Reduce Cellular Disease

Free radicals are highly reactive bits of molecules formed during the process of converting oxygen and food into energy. Like tiny exploding grenades, they can damage cells and the DNA. Thousands of studies support the idea that free radical damage contributes to age-related illnesses like cancer, heart disease and the aging process itself. Antioxidants (such as Vitamin A, C, E, and selenium) if taken appropriately, protect the cells by neutralizing the free radicals and may help prevent disease. Supplements of antioxidants can have a profound effect on risk of disease. For instance, a study at UCLA School of Public Health found that men who took 300 mg of vitamin C daily had a 45% lower risk of heart attack compared with men who took less than the U.S. Government Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Vitamin E also lowered heart attack risk by 41% in a large-scale Harvard study, while other studies showed that supplements of dietary fiber, and vitamins E and C probably do significantly reduce the risk of cancer.

HGH Reverses Aging

Starting at age 20 or so, HGH levels begin to decline about 14% each decade so that by the time we are 65, half of us have little or no HGH. The decline of HGH is accompanied by many of the miseries we associate with aging from saggy skin, to a potbelly, to a lack of vitality. But what would happen if HGH could be replaced in people who show signs of aging?

On July 5, 1990, Daniel Rudman, M.D., and his colleagues at the Medical College of Wisconsin made medical history with an article in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. It was the first clinical trial of elderly men on HGH. They compared the effects of six months’ of HGH injections on 12 men, ages 61 to 81, with an age-matched control group. The result made headlines all over the world. Those taking the hormone injections gained an average of 8.8% in lean body mass and lost 14% in fat, without diets or exercise. Their skin became thicker and firmer and the lumbar bones of the spine increased. In other words, HGH had turned their flabby, frail, fat-bulging bodies into their sleeker, stronger, younger selves. In language rarely used in conservative medical journals, the researchers wrote: “The effects of six months of human growth hormone on lean body mass and adipose-tissue mass were equivalent in magnitude to the changes incurred during 10 to 20 years of aging.”

Since that time, tens of thousands of studies in the world medical literature have documented the benefits of HGH therapy. These studies suggest a wide range of effects when HGH is replaced: reduced body fat, increased muscle mass, higher energy levels, enhanced sexual performance, regrowth of vital organs, restoration of youthful immune function, stronger bones, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, faster wound healing, smoother, firmer skin, regrowth of hair, sharper vision, elevated mood and improved cognition.

Replacement therapy with injectable HGH should only be done under the supervision of a doctor experienced in its use. While some studies have shown side effects of HGH replacement, such as joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome at higher doses, these disappeared when the dosage was lowered.

Stimulating HGH Naturally

Many of the us will not require injections of HGH to get the age-reversing benefits. Instead, they can stimulate their own hormone levels naturally through a program that combines nutrient supplements, exercise, and diet. Commonly available nutrient supplements have been shown in scientific studies to release HGH. Moderate to intensive aerobic exercise, such as riding a stationary bike or running, can raise HGH levels one and a half to two and half times higher. High intensity weight training can increase levels three to four-fold. You can also maximize the effect of exercise and HGH releasers by losing weight if you are over your ideal body weight (obesity inhibits HGH release), following a diet that is low in fat, high in healthy proteins, and avoiding sugary, starchy foods — insulin stimulating foods.

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