The Latest Anti-Aging Research and Recommendations

The Key to Anti-aging May Be Eating Your Water!

The cells within your body are the roadways that can lead to a longer life. Until recently, it was a puzzle as to how the cells could help with anti-aging. Then a book, written by Dr. Howard Murad, unlocked the puzzle of anti-aging in a surprisingly easy way.

His answer to anti-aging was a myth buster embraced by people from all walks of life. That answer was found by eating (rather than drinking) the water that your body needs for its best health and to look younger.

The principle he brought to light is simple to grasp. Water is essential to life, but it’s not essential that the water needed by the body be consumed by drinking the commonly recommended 6-8 glasses of water a day.

Instead, Dr. Murad shows how by eating the right foods, not only does the body get the water it needs, but gets it in such a way that it’s absorbed where it needs to go to slow aging in the body’s cells.

When you consume your daily allotment of water through drinking it, you sweat it out when you exercise, the sweat evaporates and you also eliminate the water you drank when you go to the bathroom.

You don’t really retain much of that 6-8 glasses of water. However, if you get your water through food, you do retain it because your cells can hang onto absorbed water longer. When this happens, the cells promote better health from the inside (organs and tissue) to the outside (the skin).

The best part of this? It’s all natural and found in the foods that you can easily and inexpensively buy. Foods that are considered hydrating foods have a lot of water retention.

Take cucumbers for example. They’re almost 100% water, plus they have added health benefits like vitamins. Lettuce is another almost all water food and because it has Vitamin A and folic acid, it’s doubly good for the body.

Fruits like watermelon (over 80% water), and other colorful fruits like strawberries have the added appeal of being nutritious and helping give the body the anti-aging power of eating water.

You should know that when preparing any fruit or vegetable for consumption, the closer it is to its natural state, the more water absorption it will give your cells. Foods that have been cooked or processed don’t have the same vitamin impact or water, so it’s always best to eat the food the way nature produced it.

Fruit Fly Intestines Could Hold Key to Anti-aging Solutions

Don’t be so quick to dismiss those annoying fruit flies as pests. These little guys can help slow down the aging process and the problems with health that are brought on by aging according to research done by the Salk Institute of Biological Studies.

The benefits to help humans fight back against aging are found in the intestines of young fruit flies. The flies have a gene known as PG-1 that resides in their intestines. Just like this little insect, humans also have the same PG-1 gene - only ours is in the DNA makeup of our bodies.

The studies done showed that thanks to this gene present in their intestines, the fruit flies not only have a slower aging process, but they live longer too! The common link between the intestines of the fruit fly and human genetics show that our small intestines are much like the intestines of the fly.

The biology behind the energy in the cells is mitochondria. This is what enables cells to do their job - divide, move, contract, etc. Mitochondria is basically the control tower within the cell. These cells that live within animals and fruit flies are controlled by the same PG-1 gene.

What researchers found was that by encouraging the energy of the gene dPGC-1, which is the similar gene between humans and the fruit fly, the membranes in the cells were increased.

These same cell membranes that give energy (and the reason the flies live longer) is due to calorie restricting. Prior studies have also shown that restricting calories results in longer lives for animals, too.

Researchers studied the link between mitochondria and a longer life span and concluded that increasing the energy of the dPGC-1 resulted in mitochondria growth and energy growth.

This same result is what happens when calories are limited.  As the energy level grew within the cells, it restored tissue within the intestines. The study showed that by changing the gene to increase activity, anti-aging results were achieved and the fruit flies observed within the study showed they were more active and vigorous than their counterparts without gene changes.

The recent research shows that the PG-1 gene is an important agent in anti-aging studies and offers promise that drugs to keep aging at bay might be on the horizon. The importance behind isolating the effectiveness of the PG-1 gene against aging shows that by preserving the vitality and health within the intestines, other areas within the body could also benefit from the age slowing benefits of the gene.

Scientists Find Anti-Aging Hope in Zombie Cell Research

Zombies are bad news. Especially if they’re the zombie cells in your body according to scientists at the Mayo Clinic. These cells, called senescent cells, are responsible for the health impairments that are often associated with aging, such as dementia and cataracts.

The key to longevity is to give the body a way to get rid of the cells - not simply because they become useless with age, but because by their presence in the body, they can cause the surrounding cells to not be as healthy as those cells would normally be.

In the body’s normal functionality, cells are supposed to divide, but senescent cells stop doing that and instead just sit in the body. The problem is that they don’t just sit quietly. They start trouble in the aging process by what they put out.

A substance called P16INK4A (found in the senescent cells) is a molecule that can create inflammation and destruction in normal cells. These cells are also responsible for suppressing tumors. When there is a mutation or the cells stop dividing, it can increase the risk of you getting certain cancers.

The body has a built-in defense mechanism that’s supposed to get rid of these zombie cells, but as we get up in years, the immune system can’t always do this job and so age-related problems then begin because of these cell activities.

These cells are forerunners that push aging in the body’s tissues. You’ll find these cells present in conditions such as arthritis and in buildup in the arteries of the heart. The key to stopping these cells from damaging other cells and causing aging health problems is found in a scientific method of helping the body ditch the cells or rendering them ineffective against healthy ones.

Researchers have discovered that if they inject mice with a senescent cell created with a molecule that reacts to a drug designed to cause the cells to die, then it slows the aging process.

By giving the mice the drug, evidence shows that they didn’t have the same age associated health problems that mice who were not given the drug developed. The mice in the study didn’t get cataracts, had better muscle tone and more energy.

The study offers hope that medicine can be created for humans that can stimulate the body into getting rid of the zombie cells and can stop the cells from damaging healthy ones. With this development, it appears that scientists may be able to help people age while keeping their health more intact.

Anti-aging Expert Claims an Hour a Week Can Change Lives

Good news for couch potatoes! A recent release by a doctor and anti-aging supporter suggests that if you want to add years to your lifespan, you can forget what the federal guidelines tell you about how often to exercise.

As it currently stands, federal guidelines say that most people should get about 2 ½ hours of exercise every week (30 minutes a day if you break it down that way) in order to reap health benefits.

But specialist Dr. Frank Comstock says that if you have an hour a week to give to exercise, that’s all you need for fitness and anti-aging to take place. The thought of exercising for just 60 short minutes a week holds a great deal of appeal for many of us.

The thought of exercising every single day is what keeps many of us sidelined before we even get started. But an hour out of an entire week seems more manageable (especially for those who hate to exercise).

Rather than committing to five days a week, an hour of exercise can be knocked out in two days or even one day.  Comstock suggests breaking it down evenly into 20-minute time periods three times a week.

The exercise that the doctor suggests is interval training. With this type of exercise, you would exercise with an activity that was more intense followed by exercise that isn’t - such as speed walking, then normal walking.

But even more encouraging? The doctor says that engaging in exercise even less than twenty minutes to begin with is okay. Getting started by giving just 10 minutes a week - 5 minutes for two days out of the week is acceptable. That’s good news and is encouraging for a majority of the population who want to exercise but don’t feel like they have the time commitment to give.

The best bet is not to start out with an exercise that you don’t enjoy. If you do that, your task will be twice as hard. Instead, stick to something that’s easier for you to tolerate. Walking is usually one of the easiest tolerated exercise for people who are just now starting to exercise or are coming back after years of absence.

Since we all have days where we’d rather do anything but exercise, once you start your routine, if it just doesn’t appeal to you, then aim for the 10 minutes instead. Even the 10 minutes of exercise can make a difference in slowing aging and helping you feel and look better.

Organic Skincare Products Aid in Anti-aging More Than Chemical Ones Do

Helping people look younger, organic skincare products feature all natural ingredients that stay on the frontline in the battle against aging. The Canadian National Newspaper featured an article explaining why organic is a wiser choice when you’re selecting skincare products.

Using the right ingredients can make a huge difference in whether your skin retains its youthful appearance or not. The wrong ingredients can actually speed up aging. When you’re looking at product ingredients, avoid products that contain things like artificial colors, propylene glycol (which is a known skin irritant), sodium lauryl sulfate (a foaming agent that can cause skin irritation and even corrosion, according to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology) and products with any kind of chemical fragrance.

Look for companies who show a commitment to bringing consumers products that are healthy for use and helpful in slowing the aging process down. Organic skincare products that are eco-friendly, not animal tested and showcases quality organic ingredients should be easy to find locally and on the Internet now.

Handpicked for the purity of their ingredients, organic products avoid chemicals that can make the skin look a lot older. Using all natural organic products helps the body stay healthier from the outside in.

Products in an organic skincare line are free from chemicals such as dyes and perfumes. Using dyes and perfumes in skincare products is counterproductive to skin health because those ingredients and others can cause the skin to dry out, appearing older than it actually is.

Hydration is a major factor in keeping skin looking healthier and younger - and organic products work to hydrate the skin rather than drying it out. Organic skincare products (which include beauty lines) should be carefully selected based on how well the ingredients work and for their long-term ability to keep skin healthy.

Your skin will react to whatever materials you use on it. For example, if you use products with harsh chemicals that have ingredients that absorb natural moisture, then your skin will react by showing dry flakes.

Shampoos that have chemicals will make your hair look dull and brittle. The outer appearance of your skin and hair is often the first clue as to whether or not your products are healthy for you to use. If these product ingredients are bad for the skin, then why are they so widely used? Because they can be mass-produced easily and sold cheaply.

You want products that are based on what nature produces. Products that contain ingredients like lanolin, beeswax and similar items work best to keep your skin supple, your hair looking healthier and your smile radiant. For all over healthier looking skin, use organic products in everything from shampoos to soaps to makeup.