Quick Facts on Anti-Aging Nutrients
● Omega-3 intake can affect your hearing — in a good way. A new study from the University of Sydney shows increased intakes of omega 3 may significantly reduce the risk of age-related hearing loss. ● Omega-3 reduces inflammation in the body that can lead to chronic conditions, including heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis. It’s also been shown to reduce the risk of stroke and certain cancers.
● Studies indicate that probiotics may have a role in treating gastrointestinal illnesses, boosting immunity and preventing or slowing the development of certain types of cancer.
● CoQ10 has been shown to improve symptoms of tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and significantly reduce the frequency and duration of migraines.
● CoQ10 can help preserve your vision, protect against periodontal disease and even improve male fertility.
● Topically, CoQ10 promotes more youthful looking skin by protecting the skin from photo aging due to ultraviolet rays. Application of CoQ10 also has been shown to reduce the depth of wrinkles.
Key Anti-Aging Nutritients
Probiotics
Your digestive system contains one of the most complex ecosystems in the world. It’s teeming with beneficial bacteria that play a critical role in maintaining your immune system and fending off harmful bacteria that can make you sick. In fact, your intestinal mucosa contain about 60 percent of your body’s immune cells.
As you age, several factors strive to throw off the delicate balance of your digestive system. New cell growth declines and tissues become more easily damaged. Muscle tone in the digestive tract also decreases so food moves more slowly through your system. Plus, beneficial bacteria tend to decline while harmful bacteria tend to flourish.
But numerous studies show probiotics are beneficial for both our intestinal and overall health, especially as we age. They support the immune system and rebuild beneficial bacteria. Healthy bacteria can prevent potentially harmful bacteria from attaching to the gut lining, reduce the availability of nutrients to the harmful bacteria, help achieve the right acidity in the intestine, support the gut lining and intestinal microflora and help strengthen the body’s natural defenses.
Omega-3
Research continues to demonstrate the brain benefits of omega-3s. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, tuna, walnuts and kiwi fruit, among other foods, and have been shown to improve learning and memory and help fight against mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and dementia.
One of the omega-3 fatty acids, DHA, seems to be especially important to brain functioning. A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition found increased levels of DHA were associated with improved nonverbal reasoning, mental flexibility, working memory and vocabulary in people between age 35 and 54.
So it’s never too late to start taking DHA. DHA has also been shown to slow the growth of two brain lesions that are the calling cards of Alzheimer’s disease. This means DHA could help delay or even prevent the onset of the disease.
CoQ10
The antioxidant coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is found naturally in the energy-producing center of the cell known as the mitochondria. Yet with age comes a steady decline in your body’s production of CoQ10.
In addition, taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins also can deplete natural levels of CoQ10 in the body. Supplementing with CoQ10 can counteract this loss, plus studies show that CoQ10 supplementation may decrease the muscle pain associated with statin treatment.
CoQ10 also acts as an antioxidant to neutralize free radicals and reduce the damage they cause. It’s been shown to benefit nearly every part of your body including your brain, heart, immune system, energy level and skin. Studies also show it can delay the aging process and increase longevity.
Topically, CoQ10 boosts skin repair and regeneration, reduces free radical damage, helps fade age spots, and reduces fine lines and wrinkles. Sun exposure breaks down Co-Q10, making supplementation essential.
These nutrients are key ingredients in ReversAge®’s patented nutritional formula. CoQ10 is also part of the exclusive RA7 Complex found in Reliv’s r skincare line.
Age Gracefully With Quality Nutrition
Medicine has its roots in herbs and natural compounds. After all, botanicals were the original medications long before there was a pharmacy on every corner. In Europe, data overwhelmingly support botanical medicine’s effectiveness.
Today, people everywhere are finally realizing the power of nutrition in our health. Even food companies and pharmaceutical companies are looking more closely at important, beneficial nutrients such as probiotics and omega 3s.
We’re proud to say that Relìv was at the forefront of incorporating these types of compounds into our products. When we began developing ReversAge® more than 10 years ago, we carefully pored through research and chose proven ingredients that worked synergistically to improve function and slow the aging process.
Those ingredients include omega-3, CoQ10, probiotics (in the form of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum) and many more.
Pharmaceuticals have their place in our healthcare system, but good nutrition may be able to delay or help prevent the need for them. In this issue of Science & Health Today, we’re going to look more carefully at a few of these ingredients that can help you age more healthfully — and more gracefully.
The good news is it’s never too late to start changing your health for the better, whether you’re 30, 50 or 80 years old. And Relìv is here to help.
To Your Health,
Dr. Carl W. Hastings, Relìv Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer