Posted on 02/11/2010 12:41:05 PM PST by decimon
HAMILTON, ON. February 11, 2010 – Researchers at McMaster University have developed a cocktail of ingredients that forestalls major aspects of the aging process.
The findings are published in the current issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine.
"As we all eventually learn, ageing diminishes our mind, fades our perception of the world and compromises our physical capacity," says David Rollo, associate professor of biology at McMaster. "Declining physical activity—think of grandparents versus toddlers—is one of the most reliable expressions of ageing and is also a good indicator of obesity and general mortality risk."
The study found that a complex dietary supplement powerfully offsets this key symptom of ageing in old mice by increasing the activity of the cellular furnaces that supply energy—or mitochondria—and by reducing emissions from these furnaces—or free radicals—that are thought to be the basic cause of ageing itself.
Most of the primary causes of human mortality and decline are strongly correlated with age and free-radical processes, including heart disease, stroke, Type II diabetes, many cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. Successful intervention into the ageing process could consequently prevent or forestall all of these.
Using bagel bits soaked in the supplement to ensure consistent and accurate dosing, the formula maintained youthful levels of locomotor activity into old age whereas old mice that were not given the supplement showed a 50 per cent loss in daily movement, a similar dramatic loss in the activity of the cellular furnaces that make our energy, and declines in brain signaling chemicals relevant to locomotion. This builds on the team's findings that the supplement extends longevity, prevents cognitive declines, and protects mice from radiation.
Ingredients consists of items that were purchased in local stores selling vitamin and health supplements for people, including vitamins B1, C, D, E, acetylsalicylic acid, beta carotene, folic acid, garlic, ginger root, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, green tea extract, magnesium, melatonin, potassium, cod liver oil, and flax seed oil. Multiple ingredients were combined based on their ability to offset five mechanisms involved in ageing.
For Rollo, the results go beyond simply prolonging the lifespan.
"For ageing humans maintaining zestful living into later years may provide greater social and economic benefits than simply extending years of likely decrepitude," he says. "This study obtained a truly remarkable extension of physical function in old mice, far greater than the respectable extension of longevity that we previous documented. This holds great promise for extending the quality of life of "health span" of humans."
Development of new and hopefully more effective supplements is ongoing.
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Funding for this study was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It has a student population of 23,000, and more than 140,000 alumni in 128 countries.
Oh my gosh!
I believe they've been right all along in general, but the specifics still haven't been nailed down. And I doubt this study has nailed down the specifics. It'll still be a few more decades, IMHO, before we have the nutritional knowledge to keep the body healthy and going well beyond current life expectancies.
I’m telling you mice are immortal. We have developed cures for every disease that might possibly kill them, and now we are eliminating old age as a cause of death. Long live the mighty mouse.
I had to sit and listen to a very nice Indian (dot) clinician extol the virtues of drinking your own...ugh...urine for about 45 minutes.
I discovered the boundary of my politeness when I did a dry-heave.
I hope you don’t mind this ping but, from our recent conversations, I thought you might find this interesting.
Jus’ don git hit by truck
I began my life extension experiment in 1978. There were studies showing that antioxidants such as BHT and BHA could extend lab rat lifespans by over 50% vs. the control group. Furthermore, the rats stayed very healthy up until death.
For the past 32 years I have researched life extension and redesigned my program many times. Reading two journals per month I have probably consulted several thousand research papers. I take over 90 pills per day including meds such as metformin and hydergine. Vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, and various synthetic antioxidants (BHT, BHA, etc.) are part of the program.
Most people guess my age at 10-15 years younger than my chronological age. If I was lucky and the effect is linear, in the past 30 years I should only have aged about 20 years physically.
Recently I read Ray Kurzweil’s book, The Singularity is Near. While I am not as optimistic as he, I will do my best to survive unti the Singularity.
Interesting, a doctor once told me to take Q10 & something else which I now forget & I would stay young looking. I take Q10 & so far it is working alright.
Didn’t he try to peddle the same potion in back in 1992, 1976, 1951, 1944, 1929 and 1917?
I take CoQ10....but, I don’t think it’s helping me LOOK young.....although I did have some stranger walk up to me at a street fair last summer and marvel at my face.....It was kinda weird....I told her it was the Cod Liver Oil I take!
LOL! That one never gets old!
Thanks. :)
Me too. All except the 3 gin’s and the cod liver oil (but also some things that aren’t on that list).
Resveratrol is also looking very promising. And also the combination of alpha-lipoic acid and carnitine.
It could be that too. I wish I could remember it. I know I have it somewhere around here. I have no wrinkles at all. I don’t look like I am 51 yrs old & have hair to my rear end that is full & healthy although hair dye hides the gray lol. I think much of it is because I don’t feel anywhere near my age, nor act it. I also don’t really dwell on age or how I look. Jeans, boots & a black shirt are just what I wear.
Thanks for the info!
Thank you Tiger, for the ping. Interesting article. No problem with the ingredients listed, though I might leave the asprin out of the equation. The cod liver oil provides A, D and omega 3’s - not sure that the flax seed oil is a necessary addition. The omega 3 in the flax seed oil would oxidize quickly on exposure to air, unless it is protected with some E (true for the cod liver oil omega 3’s too).
I would agree with all of that. Aspirin is serious medicine for bad times, in small doses, for me. I’ve never done the flax seed thing but I’ve heard it’s best to grind it fresh. No more than two or three day’s worth kept in the fridge.
So . . . cod liver oil, a balanced diet, flax seed . . . and the rest we can’t trust.
Sigh.
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