Looking at the Causes of Aging
Looking at the Causes of Aging
Americans live an average of 75 years. Compared to Amwericans residents of rural Japan, live an exceptionally long life, with a low incidence of chronic and disabling disease. Rural Japan which has consistently produced many centenarians. Hoping to find the secret to their longevity, researchers have pointed to their low fat diet of rice and fish, the simple, stress-free environment that comes with living in an agricultural town, the sense of community and belonging the people have. The elderly in rural Japan remain active and engaged, working in their chosen fields even into their nineties.
But what precisely is responsible for their long lives? Is it diet, environment, lifestyle? Or is it simply the good fortune of good genes? Most scientists working in the field of longevity agree that every human has a potential life span of 120 years. In fact all forms of life have a species-specific life span: a dog’s maximum life span is 20 years and a tortoise is 150 years. Life expectancy, however, is a different issue altogether. It is the additional number of years a person can expect to live at any given age. The cellular damage and internal attrition on the body caused by environmental factors are closely associated with the onset of life-shortening diseases. This can explain the discrepancy between actual life spans and maximum possible life spans.
Aging is dependant on a genetically determined, biological timetable. Various theories have been developed to explain how genes might place a limit on life span. One widely accepted theory of aging suggests that the answer can be found in a cell’s genetic material (chromosomes), which function as an aging clock. At the ends of each cell’s chromosomes are telomeres, spirals of DNA that protect the cell when it divides. Telomeres get shorter and shorter each time a cell divides as does the daughter cell’s telomeres. After a certain number of divisions have taken place, the telomeres get so short no more divisions can occur and the cell degenerates dramatically and dies. When large numbers of cells undergo this fate, the specific organ suffers, leading to the eventual deterioration and death of the organism.
News:
Anti Aging Medical Group Corp. (OTC: AAGM), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing, acquiring and commercializing innovative and scientifically proven products that offer both health maintenance and appearance enhancing benefits. Is invited to come to China and visit the corporate headquarters of Alpha AP to discuss the marketing of Flexogan and to explore other opportunities.
Depending on who’s doing the talking, “anti-aging medicine” offers either the picture of health or the picture of Dorian Gray. Patients who spend sometimes thousands of dollars a year at anti-aging clinics believe they feel and look younger. Skeptics say that diet and exercise alone can bring the same improvements and that other treatments probably provide only short-run gains for a long-run price. All claim to have science on their side.
