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antioxidants (glutathione, theoredoxin, alpha in diabetes type 2, and in schizophrenia, athero- Preserved
lipoic acids), melatonin, carotenoids, flavonoids, sclerosis and other chronic diseases. 32
and polyphenols. The best dietary choice to fight Despite the presence of the cell’s antioxidant immune
aging is first and foremost avoidance of industrial defense system to counteract oxidative dam- function
fats and oils, which are just loaded with free age from ROS, oxidative damage accumulates modulated by
radicals. Use butter, cook in saturated fats, and during the life cycle and has been implicated
make your own salad dressing with olive oil. in aging and age-dependent diseases such as a balanced gut
Next, include foods and botanicals that cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenera- microbiota is a
contain multiples of anti-oxidant nutrients: the tive disorders and other chronic conditions. It characteristic of
anti-aging powerhouses of garlic, curcumin, becomes extremely important to supply the body
herbs, blueberries, and so on, which contain with building materials needed for enzyme and healthy elderly
potent free radical scavengers. 30 antioxidant production through diet and supple- people at any
Catalase is a very important enzyme which mentation to lessen the processes that lead to age.
protects the cell from oxidative damage by ROS. aging. 30-32
It is involved in the quick conversion of hydrogen
peroxide (H O ), produced in many reactions, PROBIOTICS FOR HEALTHY GUT AGING
2
2
to water and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide is Aging is accompanied by lower levels of gas-
produced as a potent antimicrobial agent in the tric acid, an increase in stomach pH, and delayed
immune response when cells are infected with a stomach emptying, all of which contribute to a
pathogen. It is also a byproduct of normal cellular shift toward gut dysbiosis and a loss of microbial
respiration, and is formed from the superoxide diversity. A lifetime history of antibiotic use
anion by the action of superoxide dismutase. destroys healthy colonies of probiotic bacteria
Fuel your catalase production by eating foods and leads to increasing numbers of pathogenic
like meat which contains sulfur, iron and me- bacteria, such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff),
thionine. 32 especially in those receiving antibiotic therapy.
Catalase has one of the highest turnover Studies show 21 percent of hospitalized patients
rates for all enzymes: one molecule of catalase with C. diff infections compared to 1.6 percent
can convert approximately six million molecules in the community at large.
of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen each
minute. Catalase deficiency has been implicated
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licle cells in an inflammatory process which is gradual and initiated by several factors. Tobacco smoking has long been
linked to premature aging of the skin and is now associated with graying hair and hair loss. High doses of environmental
35
cigarette smoke cause alopecia (bald patches) in mice, which was prevented by oral doses of L-cystine and vitamin B .
6
For hair loss in women with androgenic hair loss, a 0.1 percent topical melatonin solution applied to the scalp once
daily for six months led to significantly increased hair growth in occipital hair compared to placebo. For frontal hair loss
in the group with diffuse alopecia, the melatonin solution gave a significant increase in hair growth. “The occipital hair
samples of patients with diffuse alopecia and the frontal hair counts of those with androgenetic alopecia also showed
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an increase of anagen hair, but differences were not significant.” Anagen is the active growth phase of the hair follicles
during which the root of the hair is dividing rapidly.
Melatonin is a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects in humans: it is a direct free radical scavenger and
anti-aging factor made in the pineal gland, originating with the base amino acid tryptophan in four steps, with produc-
tion of serotonin at the third step. 38
There is a melatonin-producing system in the skin. In healthy human subjects, topical melatonin effectively prevented
the development of redness and blistering in skin exposed to UV rays. In studies, the antioxidative effects of melatonin
were superior to those exerted by vitamin C. “Topical melatonin would seem to represent the first topical ‘antiaging’
product for treatment of the aging scalp.” 31
Melatonin is secreted into the blood during the dark period of sleep thus highlighting the importance of sleep. Sleep
quality and duration will be affected with aging because melatonin production gradually decreases, and an exogenous
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source, via diet or supplements, may be desirable. Melatonin is found in cherries, bananas, oranges, grapes, herbs
(feverfew, St. John's wort), olive oil, wine, tomatoes and other fruits. Blood levels of melatonin significantly increase in
humans consuming foods rich in melatonin. 37-38
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