Is it possible to live Forever?

THE WORLD OF ANTIOXIDANT?

This presentation will be based on the most recent knowledge of microanatomy and molecular physiology. This knowledge is not the form of science used by drug manufacturers, but a discipline of science that defines the way living tissues and organs within the human body function naturally; and how faulty tissues can be repaired using “natural spare parts” from the plant kingdom.
It is common knowledge that we need to constantly breathe air, with its 21% oxygen content to stay alive. Oxygen is the molecule of life for us aerobic creatures. The oxygen is delivered into the thousands of mitochondria within our cells.

At the Buck Institute, USA , their “Advancing Age Research program,” focused on mitochondrial, oxidative stress .
This program revealed that 90% of the oxygen humans consume is used inside the mitochondria power plant, to generate ATP, the main energy source of the cell. Unfortunately some undesirable side products called FREE OXYGEN RADICALS are also generated during this process of oxidation. (The peroxyl radical is the most common free radical in human biology, but the hydroxyl radical, hydroxyperoxide, superoxide and peroxynitrite anions , just to mention a few, are also produced.)
These are unstable, rouge molecules that aggressively seek to steal electrons from other molecules or atoms within the cell, in an attempt to stabilize themselves. In this way, free oxygen radicals cause extensive damages to intra cellular PROTEINS, DNA, RNA, GENES, LIPIDS on the cell membrane and other essential molecules. The Mitochondria themselves are not spared. And as these intracellular damages accumulate, the wear and tear of our microanatomy and the deterioration of our physiology lead us deeper into the world of diseases and ageing, intensive production of substances called natural Super Antioxidants, goes on in the cells, at locations just around the mitochondria. They neutralize the effects of the free radicals as they come out of the mitochondria, by freely donating electrons to them.

HOW DO FREE OXYGEN RADICALS GET INTO OUR BODIES?
From Within: As natural byproducts of biochemical oxidations occurring in normal metabolic functions within us.
The more food we eat, the more free radicals we generate, the more physical activities we execute, the more oxygen we consume, and the more FREE OXYGEN RADICALS we will generate.
From Outside: Chemicals and pollutants in the food, medicines and all other things we ingest; Natural radiation, pesticides, air pollutants, fried foods, alcohol, tobacco smoke and most of those things we are exposed to, generate Free Oxygen Radicals in us.
Researchers at the Buck Institute are convinced that uncontrolled free oxygen radical activities in the body, are directly associated with a host of health problems. For example, an ageing immune system bombarded for so long by Free Radicals, goes awry and no longer functions efficiently, sometimes attacking own tissues, like we see in Rheumatism .

THE DAMAGES THAT OXYGEN / FREE RADICALS CAUSE IN OUR BODIES.
* Take for example the Shrew, a small rat that goes along with 500 heartbeats per minute, consumes so much oxygen and produces so much free radicals that destroy most of its intracellular molecules leaving the poor shrew dead within 2yrs. It was discovered that the cells of this poor animal produce relatively little quantity of natural antioxidants, to combat
the menace of the enormous quantity of free radicals its hyperactivity generates.
* Forensic Pathologist Dr. Dick Shepherd of a Pathology unit in London has identified and documented the numerous signs of oxygen damage in our organs and tissues. In the lungs the damages caused by tobacco smoke and air pollutants have been documented; the arteriosclerotic plaque deposits within the aorta and large arteries are clearly demonstrable.
The plaques result mainly from oxidation of the LDL-cholesterol materials deposited within the endothelium of the arteries.
Here are just a few of the many diseases and disorders in which free oxygen radicals have been implicated.
Age Spot, Ageing, Allergies, Alzheimer’s Disease, Angina, Arthritis, Asthma, Arteriosclerosis, Bleeding Gums, Cancer, Cataracts, Circulation Problems, Cirrhosis, Diabetes Type II, Dry Skin, Fatigue, Hay Fever, Heart Attacks, Hemorrhoids, Hypertension, Inflamed Tissues- Jet Lag- Kidney Damage, Leukemia Liver Damage, Male Sexual Inadequacy, Memory Loss, Menstrual Disorders Migraine Headaches, Multiple Sclerosis, Night Blindness,
Parkinson’s Disease, Phlebitis, Prostate Problems- Psoriasis, Retinopathy Rheumatism, senility, Skin Cancers, Varicose Veins, Wrinkling of the Skin.

NATURAL PROTECTION AGAINST INTERNALLY GENERATED FREE RADICALS.
The break-through that caused medical scientists really to look seriously at FREE OXYGEN RADICALS, was the astonishing discovery that the body produces large quantities of substances called super antioxidants to neutralize the dangerous FREE RADICALS .
1. SuperOxide Dismutase (SOD) is one of the super antioxidants or super FREE RADICAL SCAVENGERS which convert the FREE RADICALS into Hydrogen Peroxide
2. CATALASE and GLUTATHIONE PEROXIDASE are the other super antioxidants that reduce the hydrogen peroxide to water.
3. So it seems that as long as our cells manufacture enough natural super antioxidants to mop up the free radicals, everything progresses, as planned by the genes. It is these free radicals that destroy our cells, our mitochondria, our genes, our DNA, RNA and LIPIDS on the cell membrane, forcing ageing and diseases on us.
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GENERATE LESSER FREE RADICALS AND LIVE HEALTHIER AND LONGER
1. The popular 2 mice experiment, clearly confirms the assertion. The white, fat mouse ate superfluously, generated lots of free radicals and died just before age 2yrs. The brown slim mouse ate minimally, generated lesser free radicals and lived on to the ripe age of 3 1/2 yrs.
2. To generate lesser free radicals, with the hope of living healthier and longer, one 42year- old male, Briton. Mr. Michael Young restrained his food intake to about 1500 calories of vegetarian based diet daily, with high fruit and vegetable content. After 3yrs on the program, he was recently examined at the Institute of Human Ageing in Liverpool University and hardly any degenerative disease of ageing was detected in him. Thanks to the minimal Free Radicals generated.
.3. Faster heartbeats result in Faster production of free radicals and shorter life span. While Slower heartbeats result in Slower production of free radicals and longer life span. Thus, the elephant with 30 heartbeats per minute lives for about 80yrs, while Harriet the tortoise with about 17 heartbeats per minute is still alive at 170yrs.
THE WORLD OF ANTIOXIDANTS

A predominantly plant based diet reduces the risk for development of several chronic diseases. It is often assumed that antioxidants contribute to this protection, but results with single antioxidants administered as supplements ( e.g. Vit. E alone ) quite consistently do not support any benefit.
In the plant kingdom, plant polyphenols (TANNINS, FLAVONOIDS CATECHINS) are responsible for the antioxidant properties they possess. The better-known plant polyphenols with potent Anti-oxidant-properties are oligomeric and polymeric Proanthocyanidins, Antho-cyanidins, Apigenidin, Proapigenidin, There are hundreds of antioxidant compounds in most plants, and the total antioxidant capacity of a given plant is the integrated action from different compounds within the plant, instead of that from a single compound.
Processing, especially cooking of food, is generally regarded as being destructive to antioxidant compounds.

Well-documented studies on the potent antioxidant effects of plant polyphenols have been done in various Centers all over the world.
* The University of Bordeaux in France, (Prof. Jacques Masquelier)
* The Pasteur Institute also in France.
* Horphag Research Ltd. USA.
* The Huntington Institute USA.
* The Buck Institute in Novato, USA.,
* National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, MD; USA
* USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging -Tufts University Boston USA.
* College of Medicine University of Lagos. Idiaraba Lagos Nigeria.


MOST POWERFUL ANTI-OXIDANT.

Scientists at the Buck Institute USA, after realizing the unique properties of antioxidants in human and animal life, culminated their research work with the manufacturing of the most powerful antioxidant yet known to man; the mother of all anti-oxidants; the real elixir of life, The Synthetic Catalytic Scavenger (SCS).
It has so far been administered to worms, mice, rats and guinea pigs, and for the first time, in the history of the study of ageing, SCS was shown to directly increase the life span of an animal. It will soon be tried on man.

CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE USE OF ANTI-OXIDANTS: (Based on standard clinical, double blind tests)
1. Antioxidants have a dramatic affinity for vascular tissue and several clinical trials have confirmed their beneficial effects in treating vascular disorders like varicose veins, venous insufficiency, capillary fragility and Retinopathies.
2. Management of cardiovascular diseases, Hypertension.
3. Control of LDL- cholesterol by inhibition of lipid peroxidation.
4. Selective cyto-toxicity for cancerous cells. Antioxidants have been shown to up- regulate the apoptosis – promoter genes in cancerous cells. Apoptosis means programmed cell death.
5. Inhibitory effect on HIV infection in vitro and in vivo. Recent research indicate that antioxidants express TAC-dependent suppression of HIV binding to chemokine receptors 2b, 3 and 5 found on immunocompetent peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), thus preventing HIV infection.
6. A potential therapeutic tool in dermal wound healing by stimulation of vascular endothelial growth factor.
7. Management of Insulin resistance.
8. Penetrates the blood-brain barrier, mops up the free radicals there, mostly peroxynitrite
anions. Thus inhibiting numerous neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease.
9. Prevention of Hepatic and Renal toxicity in acetaminophen & other drug poisonings
10. Improves symptoms of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE.)
11. Protects the microvasculature of the Retina. Increases regeneration of rhodopsin, thus improves visual acuity.


— Last Edited by Dr. Who at 2010-12-03 14:58:25 —

— Last Edited by Dr. Who at 2010-12-03 14:59:39 —