In recent years it has come into focus that free radicals such as smoking and inflammatory toxins or foods produce the degenerative diseases of aging.  It is well established that inflammation is the key destructive force ultimately causing coronary artery disease. How does this happen?  Why are some people more affected than others?  Throughout the history of mankind there was always a search for extending longevity and normal lifespans.  It is only in recent years that many of the secrets of aging  have come to light, but inflammation is the key.  The whole process is complex, but on a biochemical level we know much more now.

Key to all aging is the free radical damage. Just what is free radical damage?  It is a chemical process on a molecular level that involves the electrons that every atom has.  Atoms are the basic elements that go into the building of molecules and compounds that make up all matter.  It just so happens that the organic molecules of your body are extremely complex yet are still subject to the laws of biophysics.

Every atom has electrons perpetually circulating around the nucleus of the atom. They are negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus of the atom and are the most reactive part of the chemical process.  The whole body, including thinking, is propelled by chemical reactions. There is a constant exchange of electrons and up-building as well as breakdown of chemical processes.  The problem of free radical damage occurs when incomplete compounds, in need of electrons, steal their needed electrons from other weaker compounds. This causes oxidative damage and inflammation, the mother of all degenerative disease.

Oxidative, free radical damage often becomes cumulative. This occurs when there are too few electron donors (called anti-oxidants).  All chemical processes of the body produce some free radicals.  (Even exercise and digestion)  The problem occurs when the body is overwhelmed with too many free radicals and too few anti-oxidant donors.  This easily occurs because the environment is loaded with toxins, foreign substances along with the poor dietary intake for the needed electron donors anti-oxidants.

Compounds deficient in electrons are somewhat analogous to a vacuum force, pulling in electrons.  They tend to suck in the needed electrons to make their atom or molecule more stable.  They cause inflammation.  Inflammation in coronary arteries produces an accumulation of dangerous plaque that can result in a heart attack.  This plaque is called atherosclerosis. It increases blood pressure and clot formation that can obstruct coronary arteries, producing the heart attack.  This is what defines coronary artery disease.

Where do the needed electrons come from? They are best released and donated from anti-oxidant compounds like vitamins A, C and E, polyphenols, as well as certain enzymes like glutathione that are designed just for that purpose.  These substances carry extra, or donor, electrons.   In addition, certain bioflavonoids, most richly available in fruits and vegetables, are also excellent donors. This is why a good diet is so important to a healthy and long life. Anti-oxidants have spare electrons to give.  This makes them most available so that the hungry free radicals do not rob electrons from weaker compounds.

The victims of the theft (the weak molecules) are then sick and when trillions of them accumulate, your body ages and slows down. So here is what happens in the process of aging and free radical damage on a molecular level.

As already alluded to, oxidative damage is the process whereby  substances deficient in electrons damage other atoms or molecules.  A good example is the rusting of iron.  It is called oxidation.  Oxidation in artery linings attracts cholesterol and calcium and results in a plaque buildup; the condition is called atherosclerosis.   It is sometimes also called hardening of the arteries or arteriosclerosis.

Free radical damage can happen throughout the body. This is oxidative damage  on a cellular level, with its accompanying inflammation. This process results in a shorter lifespan. You may be asking, I thought oxygen was good for you?  It is; however, too much oxygen causes free radical damage.  Oxygen is needed by every cell but excessive amounts are destructive.  There is a limit to the aerobic (oxygen) capacity.

Just as most food substances are good in adequate amounts, overabundance is destructive to health. It upsets the chemical balance.

Glutathione has especially shown itself a powerful  anti-aging agent in other experiments. Anti-oxidant vitamins like C and E lose the spare electron and become ineffective as anti-oxidants.  Glutathione is able to replenish the spare electron lost by vitamins C and E.  These vitamins are no longer suicidal in anti-oxidant function but are re-charged and re-cycled to be anti-oxidants again.

The bottom line is this.  Breakthrough recent research has uncovered the process that causes aging.  Free radical damage increases aging and degenerative diseases like heart disease and cancer. Why breakdown sometimes occurs and sometimes does not often hinges on anti-oxidant activity that cancels out the oxidative damage.

The evidence of why free radical oxidative damage is so destructive is evident in the shortening of the telomere caps on your chromosomes. Shortened telomeres correlate to and measure the degree of aging process in the whole body.  This subject is worthy of a whole blog post that will soon follow..Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

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Burgundy France prompted this rush of research because longevity with humans was shown to be increased by 46% in a scientific study, in spite of a lousy fat diet.

A Harvard Medical School professor says “The red wine chemical resveratrol extends the life of every organism we give it to.” Many animal experiments have already been conducted and virtually all species have extended live spans in spite of even terrible, fatty diets.

As  mentioned already,  a 46 percent longer life span was found in Burgundy France. High levels of resveratrol are found in the grape skins of the Burgundy red grapes.

Burgundy is a tough growing climate environment and grapes that survive here have especially high resveratrol content. The Monrovian purple grape appears to have 25 times more resveratrol than other grapes.   Its effect is labeled the “French Paradox”.

How does resveratrol work? It stimulates a longevity gene. This triggers a defense enzyme that increases the individual’s ability to repair itself. This helps cancel oxidative damage that robs you of longevity; it helps prevent health breakdown.

Oxidative damage is the chief cause of destructive aging and resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent this.

By preventing oxidative damage the genetic code (DNA) is preserved from a more rapid, age related destruction.  Free radicals, the cause of oxidative damage, shorten your life.

Recent animal studies show that increasing the levels of resveratrol increases the number of mitochondria inside all cells of the body. The significance of this is that mitochondria are the energy factories for individual cells.

One benefit of increasing the number of mitochondria is the reduction of fat. The more efficient the energy production, the more efficient the fat burn by these energy factories.

The second benefit of increased resveratrol is activation of the longevity gene. (This is clearly proven by longevity studies on humans). Where there are high levels of resveratrol, long term, this means as much as a 46 percent increase in life expectancy . . . as was shown in Burgundy, France.

This longevity gene, SIRT1, promotes better glucose and insulin control which translates into more energy, reduction of fat and less diabetes.

Resveratrol is an exciting breakthrough that is not yet fully revealed to mainstream America. It has great promise as a life extending supplement and enemy of degenerative diseases.  It appears to be a fountain of youth enhancement that can easily be applied…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

P.S. Bookmark this blog for the soon release of Part 2 Resveratrol.

Technorati Tags: fountain of youth, free radical damage, longevity, oxidative damage, reduction of fat, resveratrol

Cardiologist Thomas E. Levy, M.D. says this:  “Even though traditional medications can control the symptomatic expression of many heart conditions, most do not lessen the oxidative stress that usually accompanies these conditions.  As a result, long term damage and consequences can occur even though symptoms are controlled.”

In other words, the underlying inflammation produced by oxidative stress is still  problematic even with reduced symptoms provided by drugs. The usual effects of electron thievery occurs in oxidative stress.  This causes damage to the mitochondria and chromosomes they contain, increasing risk of permanent damage to the DNA or genetics of the cells.  The ensuing inflammation also invites atherosclerotic plaque accumulation and further damage.

LDL cholesterol and plaque formation attach to inflamed arteries and cause atherosclerosis. This can still proceed in spite of reduced symptoms of high blood pressure, because inflammation is a necessary pre-requisite of atherosclerosis.

Another proof of reduced oxidative damage, relating to high blood pressure, comes when antioxidants like glutathione and vitamins C and E are at optimal levels.  The inflammation is greatly reduced and blood pressure drops.

Glutathione is arguably the most potent resident antioxidant in your body. It defends against toxins and strengthens the immune system against germs that cause disease.  In addition it re-supplies electrons to antioxidant vitamins C and E, the donors for hungry free radicals that cause oxidative damage.  It disarms toxins, fights infection, degenerative diseases and neutralizes foreign substances.

Laboratory studies, providing supplementation with these antioxidants (glutathione raw materials and vitamins C & E) in animals, find a reduction of inflammation and blood pressure.  The same can be said for human subjects.

The bottom line take away is this: If you have high blood pressure…you need to reduce oxidative stress, such as smoking, bad fats and lack of exercise.  Increase good nutrients, especially antioxidants and follow a heart healthy diet like the Mediterranean one.  Especially important for glutathione production are the cruciform vegetables that furnish organic sulfur (broccoli, Brussels’s sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower) …Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

Technorati Tags: free radical damage, glutathione, high blood pressure, oxidative damage

A finding with aging and reduced longevity is the shortening of chromosomes. These contain the genetic code for all of your cells. (Telomeres are the tips of the chromosomes that shorten with age)  Function of the cells naturally deteriorates when there is a shortening of the chromosomes and this affects future generations.

When you are young there is  build up, growth and increase of cell function. The process is called “anabolic”.  With age the breakdown and deterioration of cellular function exceeds build up.  This process is called “catabolic”. Why does this slow down occur? Free radical damage is the answer.

Free radicals steal electrons  and cause oxidative damage to your biochemistry. This  causes aging and breakdown of your cells. Normal biochemistry produces some free radicals but when  scavengers and dietary intake of anti-oxidants is deficient, breakdown and shorted longevity occurs.

Assimilation of whole, raw, healthy food is replaced by packaged foods, excess fats, sugar, and preserved foods. This means that essential vitamins, enzymes, flavenoids, catalysts and phytonutrients found in whole, unprocessed food is deficient.  There are over 3000 enzymes in raw vegetables and fruit…many are lost with heat and preservatives.  There are over 4000 flavenoids…many of unknown function, but important.

Numerous studies demonstrate increased cancer, heart disease and all degenerative diseases when foreign substances (toxins, drugs, and foreign…man adulterated foods, are consumed. Over 80,000 foreign chemicals are known to have  contact with humans. This gives reason why, and argument for, known anti oxidants that neutralize these free radicals.

Supplements that help keep the body from deterioration and aging are vitamins A, E, and C. Other anti-oxidants are CoQ-10, resveratrol and Omega 3’s (essential fatty acids).

Foods that cause excessive free radical damage are too much sugar, fats and the trans fats. ( Trans fats are hydrogenated vegetable oils that have filled all docking sites on the molecule.  This produces an inert foreign substance that is hard to metabolize and get rid of.)

According to Mark Hyman, M.D., large, regular doses of drugs such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), deplete an important natural anti oxidant, glutathione. Glutathione is a very powerful anti oxidant that is an immune builder and anti inflammatory agent.  It is one of the body’s best anti oxidants and disease killers.

Long term use of a drug (or a foreign substance) can cause cognitive decline. Foreign substances become neurotoxins that pollute neurotransmission. (normal message conduction and communication)

Good diet and good supplements are real assets for longevity in contrast to the popular notion that treating symptoms with drugs can make you more healthy…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

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Much current research is now being done.  Preliminary studies show two areas of why longevity is extended. The first is believed due to the activity of the longevity gene, SIRT1; it is stimulated and activated.  The second is co-related to oxidative damage…the mother of all degenerative diseases.

Robb and others in their research on the biochemistry and biophysics (published in that journal) found a 14 fold increase in the activity of MnSOD (SOD2). The significance of this is that it reduces oxidative damage due to free radicals. (loose electrons).  This inhibits heart disease,  cancer and all the other inflammatory, degenerative diseases that shorten your life.

SOD2 confers resistance to mitochondrial dysfunction and thereby directly helps heart strength. The mitochondria are the energy factories in all cells. The heart muscle needs at least 4 to 5 times the amount of energy that other cells need.  Heart failure is reduced (theoretically) as well as definitely reducing the inflammatory effect of the free radicals.

Heart failure, due to lack of energy from the mitochondria, plus inflammatory atherosclerosis, are the primary factors in heart disease.   Resveratrol enormously reduces heart disease. Resveratrol is the most plausible reason for increased life expectancy.  (It  inhibits  other degenerative diseases,  thereby also extending longevity)

In animal studies, mice fed unhealthy fats and free radical damaging diets, confirm that indeed oxidative damage was reduced by resveratrol and life expectancy was increased. In other words, in spite of a lousy diet with exposure to free radicals, the resveratrol supplemented mice lived longer and had more physical endurance.

All degenerative diseases benefit from the reduction of free radicals; they are paramount to all degenerative diseases. A heart healthy diet and good supplements make sense for staying healthy and living longer…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

Technorati Tags: coronary heart disease, degenerative diseases, free radical damage, heart disease, longevity, oxidative damage, resveratrol

Free radicals are unstable substances… toxins, pesticides, man adulterated foods, some drugs,  biochemical by-products…any foreign substances to your body. Free radicals are greedy chemicals that need electrons to make them more stable and complete. They cause oxidative  damage and inflammation.   Even some body functions, such as exercise, produce free radicals.

The body has an amazing ability to handle some of these free radicals. Certain vitamins, such as A, C & E are antioxidant vitamins that freely give up electrons.  Bioflavenoids from fresh fruits and vegetable are also donors to the greedy free radicals that cause oxidative damage to weaker body compounds. Even the genetic code of your DNA is easily damaged by unsatisfied free radicals.

“We know that most degenerative diseases are limited to free radical damage.” James Balch, M.D.  In 1954 Dr. Denham Harmon said this: “A single common process, modifiable by genetic and environmental factors, was responsible for ageing and death of all living things.” This is more true today because of the increased assaults on your body and its genetic code. Disease is produced by damaged DNA and inflammation.

There is a proliferation of toxic chemicals and substances that attack the mitochondria and the DNA of every cell in the body, often altering the genetic code, causing aging and pre-mature death. Cancer is a prime example of this. If you  study a microscopic slide of cancer cells you will see bizarre, inconsistent, irregular, out of control, tumor cells.

Fortunately a healthy body is able to cope with and neutralize some free radical damage, even eliminating cancer and damaged cells.  Good supplementation, vitamins, and raw vegetables that are all proven anti-oxidants, are of enormous benefit.

There is a limit to what the body can handle in detrimental foreign substances. On a daily basis your body takes in toxins in the form of air, water, food and absorbable foreign substances. Normal biochemistry of you body adds to this burden.

Your body handles toxins each day, eliminating chemicals and foreign substances. Unfortunately our modern environment sometimes overwhelms your body with huge amounts of a substance or substances that are carcinogenic…cancer causing.

There are, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 80,000 toxic chemicals that we are exposed to. Cardiologist Stephen Sinatra says the figure is now 90,000.  They very much affect heart health, especially your heart rhythm. The heart is very dependent upon  electrical conduction and free radicals not only cause inflammation but also interrupt the negative and positive charges that affect heart rhythm.

These foreign substances include, but are not limited to herbicides, pesticides (4 billion lbs. in USA/yr.), mercury, cadmium, aluminum, lead, solvents, asbestos, preservatives, trans fats, prescription drugs, cleaning agents, inhaled smoke and auto exhausts, cosmetics, ammonia, artificial food products and numerous biochemical pollutants.

These products cause inflammation, oxidative damage and sometimes even genetic aberrations that result in  cancer, arthritis, diabetes II, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, kidney and other degenerative diseases.

When your body is overwhelmed, then disease and dysfunction prevail. Ultimately life and longevity is compromised.  You lose health!

Water and air pollution are a major source of these noxious chemicals.  We further add to the toxic burden by consumption of excessive trans fats, sugar, alcohol, sodium, caffeine, nitrates, and other “foods” that overload our bodies. Normal function is impaired… Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

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