Zinc, along with vitamins C and E and the phytochemicals lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene may help prevent or slow the onset of age-related macular degeneration. Vitamin E may have a potential role in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Low levels of vitamin B12 have been associated with memory loss and linked to age-related hearing loss in older adults.
Aging and Hormones
We blame a lot on hormones and with good reason. Hormones — including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, somatotropin and DHEA — control virtually every biological process in the body. So when hormone levels start to decline as we grow older, the body loses its commanding “sergeant” and functions less effectively.
The slow decline begins in the 30s and 40s, though most don’t notice the effects until their 40s and 50s. The good news is we can slow biological aging by optimizing hormone levels with nutritional supplements.
To boost hormone function, it’s vital to supply the hormone building blocks with enough vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids, along with CoQ10, L-carnitine, N-acetylcysteine and glutathione. An ideal formula containing all these ingredients can be found in Reliv’s ReversAge®.
ReversAge also contains Symbiotropin®, a unique combination of natural substances that stimulate the body’s release of human growth hormone, and 7-Keto, a safe prohormone that is more potent than DHEA in fighting the effects of aging by improving weight loss, stamina, concentration and focus.
Antioxidants and Aging
Antioxidants are a powerful ally in the battle against age accelerating free radicals. Many of the antioxidants we need are manufactured in our cells. But some can’t be manufactured in the body and must be obtained from external sources.
Known as essential nutrients, these antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene and selenium. Our cells also manufacture important antioxidants such as CoQ10, glutathione, and alpha lipoic acid. The body’s production of these nutrients, however, slows down as we age and can be hindered by some medications, such as statins used for cholesterol. Nutritional supplements can ensure we get the essential nutrients we need and compensate for the body’s decreased production of antioxidants.
Reliv’s ReversAge® nutritional supplement contains proprietary antioxidant and herbal complexes, including CoQ10, glutathione and alpa lipoic acid. ReversAge also contains Protykin®, a high-potency root extract that delivers anti-aging, cell-protecting nutrients similar to those found in red wine. These powerful ingredients work together in a patented formula to help improve the way older adults feel — and age.
Aging and Inflammation
Inflammation is the underlying cause of many diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. C-reactive protein is one common inflammatory marker doctors are now using to determine heart disease risk. Studies have shown anti-inflammatory supplements can significantly reduce this marker.
Ongoing inflammation throughout the body can kill brain cells, thicken the blood, cause arterial plaque to break off, cause free radical damage, and fuel cancer growth. However, several anti-inflammatory supplements help tame inflammation. These include:
- • Nettle extract
- • Essential fatty acids (such as Omega 3)
- • Bromelain
- • Ginger
- • Curcumin
- • Vitamin K
- • Ginkgo biloba extract
Reliv Products Encourage Healthier Aging
Many of Reliv’s products contain these nutrients and others that can help reduce inflammation and slow down the aging process. FibRestore®, for example, includes bromelain and ginger as well as a host of antioxidants, fiber, herbs, carotenoids and vitamins. Reliv Now® and Reliv Classic®, also include the anti-inflammatory bromelain, along with essential vitamins and antioxidants such as vitamins B6, B12, C and E, calcium and selenium.
In addition, ReversAge® contains the anti-inflammatory compounds ginkgo biloba, Omega 3 fatty acids and nettle root, along with proprietary complexes that replicate the optimum hormone levels and ratios of our youth.
It’s Not a Mystery, It’s Nutrition
Aging is part of life, but it doesn’t have to mean a decline in quality of life. For hundreds of years, people have been in search of the elusive “fountain of youth.” But it isn’t really so mysterious. Anti-aging is about preventing disease. It all comes down to optimum nutrition and better lifestyle choices to make healthy, more graceful aging possible.
A Portrait of Aging: A Letter From Dr. Carl Hastings
The body ages for a number of reasons:
• Hormones decline. Hormones are chemical messengers that tell the cells what proteins to manufacture and the organs what functions to perform. When hormone levels decline, less information is transmitted and the body functions less effectively. One of the most powerful things we can do to slow biological aging and prevent disease is to compensate for these age-related changes in hormone production.
• Free radical damage. As we age, our body is less able to defuse and repair the cell damage from free radicals, so cells become more vulnerable to oxidation, DNA mutation and tissue rigidity. To compound the problem, high-fat diets, smoking and sedentary lifestyles speed the decline of hormones and contribute to free radical damage throughout the body.
• Inflammation. Inflammation throughout the body is another major contributing factor to disease and aging. Bottom line: The key to healthier aging is to slow the decline of our body’s functioning and to restore vigor through good nutritional support and smarter lifestyle choices.
September is Healthy Aging Month, I encourage you to use this September as the healthy starting point for the rest of your active, fulfilling life.
To Your Health,
Dr. Carl W. Hastings, Reliv Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer
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