Age With Vitality :: Health and Disease

Age With Vitality
by author Steve Parsons

There’s truth in the old saw "we dig our graves with our teeth."

Heart disease, stroke, many cancers, kidney disease, diabetes and other disorders emerge from the way we live. Particularly what we eat.

Nature has genetically programmed humans with a potential 120 years of life, yet most succumb long before. We become "biologically old" in relation to chronological years. We recognize visible signs of aging but rarely think of them in terms of cellular biology.

Each one of us is an immense cohesive cluster of trillions of cells, bound together by the force of life. The health of our cells is clearly reflected in the state of our bodies. As within, so without. Degenerative diseases and, in part, aging itself, are expressions of cellular damage. Implicated are free radicals, volatile molecules that tear apart cells and tissues in an oxidative process much like a rusting car. It’s estimated that an average cell takes 10 to 20 billion hits from free radicals per day! In addition to outside sources, our bodies manufacture free radicals in order to destroy pathogens and dismantle toxins.

Trouble brews when free radical levels become excessive. It’s a question of dynamic balance. Neutralize free radicals with antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E and such supporting agents as copper, selenium and zinc, essential fatty acids and enzymes (glutathione perioxidase, superoxide dismu- tase and catalase). A cross-linking process occurs when proteins, enzymes, ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) suffer damage. Tissues thicken, losing elasticity. Wrinkles appear, arteries harden, joints stiffen. If DNA is badly damaged, uncontrolled cell mutations occur.

In our 40s and 50s, we begin to feel the effects of reduced blood flow, decreased oxygenation, cumulative losses of heart and nerve cells, declines in vision, hearing, smell and metabolism, as well as diminished mental acuity and memory loss. Aging is a normal process of wear and tear overlaid on our programmed timetable of years. Degenerative disease, on the other hand, is accelerated aging–with breakdowns.

To create a health program for ourselves from a cellular viewpoint means two things: avoidance of cell damage and quality support for cell growth, repair and rejuvenation. Cellular vitality is the amount of life force available for all metabolic processes. Even though declining naturally with age, we can slow the dimming of vitality through diet and lifestyle. A strong life force within appears as a clear shine in the eyes both in animals and humans.

An Anti-Aging Strategy

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Steve Parsons is a writer and nutritional consultant living in Nova Scotia.

Source: alive #223, May 2001

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